In 1989, Oregonians voted to
ban export of old-growth logs
from state-owned forests. The
ballot measure, which is illegal
by U.S. law because it restricts
exports, also called on Congress
to permanently ban the export of
logs grown on federal lands.
A recent International Trade
Administration report sheds
light on the controversy by
explaining why the Japanese are
buying U.S. forest products.
Here are some of its conclusions.
New markets for wood. The
U.S. government trade policy
promotes exports to Japan
because they increase revenue
from federal lands. This helps
the balance of trade. Currently,
the yen-to-dollar exchange rate
favors the Japanese currency, and
the Japanese have been importing
a large percentage of their
timber.
Over 69% of the Japanese
wood supply comes from imports
– up