Wood products manufacturers have seen a 19.7% jump in production in the 12 months leading to May, with much of the gain benefitting B.C. companies, Statistics Canada reported July 24.
The sector had the largest dollar gain and the biggest percentage gain by industry. Other manufacturers saw a decline of 1.1% over the same period.
B.C. wood products sales rose from $1.4 billion to $7.5 billion, up 22.9% from the same period one year earlier. The sector accounts for 22.9% of all manufacturing in this province.
Lumber and treated wood make up two-thirds of all wood products manufactured in B.C. This means, Statistics Canada said in its report, the industry was disproportionally affected by the U.S. housing crash.
The rebound in the U.S. housing market is the driving force behind the increase in production. Lumber and treated wood exports to the U.S. increased 36.9% year-over-year, up $1.2 billion from the previous year.
Quebec is the second-largest producer of wood products. This year, Alberta edged out Ontario as the third-largest manufacturer of wood products, the first time this has happened since Statistics Canada began tracking the data in 1992.
