NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release 2009FOR0071-000586 November 6, 2009

Ministry of Forests and Range

 

LARGEST-EVER LUMBER TRADE MISSION SET FOR CHINA, JAPAN

 

VICTORIA – A trade mission led by Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell departs today for China and Japan as the B.C. forest industry continues to expand and diversify wood product sales into key Asian markets.

 

“China and Japan are our forest industry’s two most important overseas markets. Ongoing government relations and regular contact are extremely important to trade and doing business,” said Bell. “I’ll be joined by the Canada Wood Group and senior executives from B.C.’s largest forest companies to promote wood-frame construction and create new demand for our forest products.”

 

The delegates will visit the Shanghai metro area, Sichuan province, and Beijing-Tianjin corridor – the three regions of China where B.C. and Canada have focused most of their marketing activities.

 

Stops in Shanghai include the Canada Wood College campus, hemlock re-manufacturing factory, wood truss re-roofing projects, and local housing bureau to sign a memorandum of understanding.

 

The Sichuan itinerary features a ceremony for a primary school rebuilt with Canada-B.C. earthquake reconstruction funding, and meetings with local government officials to discuss wood-frame rural housing.

 

The final leg is northern China to participate in the Beijing Housing Show and to meet with the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to leverage its increased interest in building with wood.

 

Highlights of the Japan portion of the trade mission include a pavilion event and keynote address at the Japan Home Show, ground-breaking ceremony for an elder care facility, meetings with key buyers from Japan’s forest and building product sectors, and a tour of the Tokyo Lumber Terminal.

 

“Building on the success of last year’s trade mission, we’re on track to ship over 1.3 billion board feet of lumber to China before year’s end – the equivalent production of five to six interior sawmills,” said Bell.

 

 

 

Photos from the China and Japan trade mission will be available online in the Ministry of Forests and Range media room at www.for.gov.bc.ca/pab/media/.

 

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Contact:

Cheekwan Ho Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-8482

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