The main aspect of this study -was to analyze the changes which
occurred in the British market between 1935 and the present. Changes have
been manifold and have caused noteworthy fluctuations in the lumber export-import
trade between British Columbia and the United Kingdom.
The period under review was divided into five parts: pre-war
(1936-1939), war (1940-1945), post-war (1946-1949), period after the devaluation
of the pound sterling (1950-1952) and the present (1953-1954).
Two additional chapters were included, one dealing with the future export
trends, and the other treating briefly the historical growth of the lumber
industry and its part in the provincial economy. A comparison was included
of the mechanical and physical properties of Douglas fir, western hemlock,
western red cedar and Sitka spruce and those of European whitewood and
redwood.
Housing activity in the United Kingdom was treated in detail
throughout the thesis. The housing problem has been acute and will remain
so in the next decade. Large quantities of softwood lumber are consumed
in housing. Although the amount of lumber used per dwelling-unit decreased
from 10-1/2 cubic metres to 7-1/2 cubic metres during the war, under the
control system, it is expected to reach its former level on the anticipation
that larger houses are to be built.
During the pre-war period lumber exports from British Columbia
increased remarkably, being larger by eightfold in 1936 than in 1931, and
by twelvefold in 1939 than in 1931. The substantial housing program,
preferential tariffs, trade promotion work and European Timber Exporters1
quota system, as well as British Columbia's lumber prices, contributed to
the increased lumber exports to the United Kingdoms.
During the war British Columbia's lumber played an important
role in Great Britain. Total imports dropped to 25 percent of the prewar
level and British Columbia supplied over fifty percent of them. The
home production of softwood lumber increased about five times over pre-war
level, reaching a peak in 1942 (344,000 standards). Timber control reduced
consumption and controlled imports.
The post-war reconstruction program in the United Kingdom caused
heavy buying in British Columbia. In 1947, 31 percent of total British
softwood lumber imports originated in this province. The dollar shortage
in 1948 and 1949 forced the United Kingdom to decrease imports from British
Columbia.
The devaluation of the pound sterling made British Columbia's
lumber expensive when comparing it with Russian and Scandinavian lumber.
Increased prices and the inability to get lumber from Sweden and Finland
after the outbreak of the Korean war, however, caused larger buying (about
400,000 standards) in British Columbia during 1951 and 1952.
The present situation has been influenced by the decontrol of
softwood lumber consumption in the United Kingdom which took place in
November, 1953. The consumption is estimated to reach about 1,400,000
standards in 1954. An amount of 350,000 standards would be a fair share to
be shipped from this province annually to the United Kingdom. A notable
feature of the present is the willingness of Russia to export lumber
(250,000 standards in 1954) to the United Kingdom.
The import requirements of Great Britain are estimated to be
1,200,000 standards in I960 representing little more, than half of the
pre-war level. They will have to be imported from outside Europe, mainly
from Russia and British Columbia. Although this province is a source of
high quality lumber, it is recommended that the British market be developed
mainly for lower quality lumber by means of reasonable prices, and
care in production and shipping.
United Kingdom imports from British Columbia will depend upon
its dollar purchasing power. This could be increased by two-way trade
between Great Britain and Canada.
During the period under review proportionally more and more
western hemlock was shipped to Great Britain. The ratio between Douglas
fir and western hemlock dropped from 1 to 7 of pre-war, to 1 to 4 in wartime
and 1 to 2 in 1952. Since there is more mature western hemlock
timber than Douglas fir on the coast from where the future exports are
expected such a change in favour of western hemlock is an important achievement. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/42406 |
| Date | January 1954 |
| Creators | Susanik, Rudolph |
| Publisher | University of British Columbia |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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