Exporting Logs

[MDLogging]

What are the steps someone needs to take to get into exporting logs?  How do you find customers over seas?  I sell logs to guys who export but i've always wondered how tough it would be to just bypass them and start doing it myself.  Some loggers here are starting to export some pine ans put it in containers themself but they're tight lipped on who to get in contact with.  Guess i would be to if i had a good market.  Just wondering

[Shotgun]

You should contact USDA-APHIS (Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service).  You'll have trouble exporting logs with bark attached or live plant materials without working through this agency.

[Ron Wenrich]

USDA used to inspect our logs for export, but that has stopped the past few years.  They were active when we had high amounts of gypsy moth in the area.  We only had to debark a few logs to satisfy their needs.  We haven't debarked in several years.

We go mainly through a broker.  We also can load containers.  If you can't load containers, you'll be at a disadvantage.  We've had a few Chinese log buyers in our yard.  They are very, very picky.  We've also had some Germans in our yard, and they are a lot easier to deal with.

I took an export course a couple of decades ago.  There are hoops to jump through, and probably more now since its post 9/11.  The one thing that was stressed was that you needed to have a banker that would be able to handle the money.  You also wanted to avoid certain countries, as getting the funds was very difficult.  Basically, it was doing business with Europe or Japan.  Now you can throw in most of Asia. 

For my money, I think I would stick with a broker.  We've been burnt by a few that went belly up.  I've noticed that the number of brokers that have been around for a long time is getting a lot less.  I've seen quite a few that last a few years, then they're gone. 

You might find a few foreign buyers that you could work with.  You'll have to beat the bushes to find out where they're at, and what they're interested in.  A few foreign corporations have set up operations in the States.  You might find out who some of them are if you spend some time at the docks in Baltimore. 

[MDLogging]

Thanks for the input.  I'm sure if it were easy everyone would be doing it.  Im still gonna dig a little deeper.  From what i've heard the one guy they're selling to in china isnt real picky on the pine.

[Ron Scott]

Unless you are producing species and volumes that are attractive to foreign buyers and meet the Department of State's wood products exporting requirements, it is best to deal with a reliable broker who already has international markets for your wood.

If you have the desired wood product, foreign buyers will oftrn seek you out. You just need to get into that secretive network that you mention.