THE POTENTIAL FOR GHANA’S WOOD/WOOD PRODUCTS IN THE U.S. MARKET Dr. Emmanuel T. Acquah (University of Maryland Eastern Shore) Dr. Charles Whyte (USAID/AFR/SD) May 1998 Office of Sustainable Development, USAID Africa Bureau Africa Bureau Information Center, USAID Development Information Services CONTENTS LIST OF APPENDICES..............................................................................................................7 1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................9 The Importance and Role of Forests in the Ghanaian Economy ........................................... 10 Objectives..................................................................................................................................... 12 Methodology ................................................................................................................................ 12 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 13 2. PRE-PROCESSING AND SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY ISSUES......................................14 Forest Production Issues............................................................................................................ 14 Sustainable Forestry Management Issues................................................................................ 15 Land, tree and forest tenure issues............................................................................................ 15 Forest ownership, long-term financing and sustainability........................................................ 16 Green certification and labeling................................................................................................ 18 Accessibility to national forestry inventory report ................................................................... 19 Improved methods of extraction of resources from the forest.................................................. 19 Table 1(a). Felling diameter limits in four West African countries.......................................... 21 Timber trends studies: A planning tool..................................................................................... 23 Availability of Certain Ghanaian Species of Timber............................................................... 24 Resource and production potential............................................................................................ 25 Annual sustainable yield from reserves .................................................................................... 26 Proposed Interventions ............................................................................................................... 27 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 27 3. POTENTIAL FOR GHANA’S WOODS/WOOD PRODUCTS EXPORTS TO THE UNITED STATES.......................................................................................................................29 Primary and Secondary Products ............................................................................................. 29 Table 1(b). High-value species used to manufacture selected products .................................. 29 Table 2. Volume (in cubic meters) of major wood products exported from Ghana during 1990–1997................................................................................................................................. 30 Table 3. Ghana’s rotary veneer exports (in cubic meters) to selected countries for selected years .......................................................................................................................................... 31 Table 4. Air-dried lumber exported from Ghana during January–June 1997........................... 32 2 Table 5. Kiln-dried lumber exported from Ghana during January–June 1997 ......................... 33 Table 6. Sliced veneer exported from Ghana during January–June 1997 ................................ 34 Table 7. Plywood exported from Ghana during January–June 1997....................................... 35 Table 8. Rotary veneers exported from Ghana during January–June 1997............................. 35 Products With Medium- to Long-Term Potential in the U.S. Market................................... 36 Current Competition in the U.S. Market.................................................................................. 36 Table 9. Top exporters of selected tropical wood products to the United States in 1996 ........ 38 Table 10. The per-unit value of selected tropical wood products imported into the United States ......................................................................................................................................... 40 Identification of Market Segment Niches................................................................................. 42 Tertiary (Value-Added) Wood Products .................................................................................. 43 The furniture market ................................................................................................................. 43 Hardwood Dimension Stock and Furniture Parts ................................................................... 45 Wooden Doors ............................................................................................................................. 46 Table 11. The value of doors, their frames and thresholds of wood (C.I.F. value basis) imported into the United States in 1994 ................................................................................... 48 Hardwood Flooring..................................................................................................................... 48 Wooden Millwork ....................................................................................................................... 51 Moldings ................................................................................................................................... 51 Value of Wooden Molding Imports Into the United States in 1994 (US$) by Country.......... 52 Miscellaneous Wood Products ................................................................................................... 53 Types of woods used................................................................................................................. 53 Values of wood product groups ................................................................................................ 54 Supply routes............................................................................................................................. 54 Country suppliers ...................................................................................................................... 54 Supply and demand issues ........................................................................................................ 55 Opportunities in U.S. Markets for Hardwood Products from Ghana ................................... 55 Entering the U.S. Market........................................................................................................... 56 Table 12. Value (in million $) of selected wooden furniture and furniture parts imported into the United States in 1996 .......................................................................................................... 57 Equipment and Skills.................................................................................................................. 58 Opportunities in Exporting to the United States ..................................................................... 59 Door and window markets ........................................................................................................ 60 Molding..................................................................................................................................... 60 3 4. TRADE PATTERNS, MARKETING PRACTICES AND OPTIONS..............................62 Trade Patterns ............................................................................................................................. 62 Marketing Practices.................................................................................................................... 63 Marketing Options ...................................................................................................................... 64 Marketing of Ghanaian Wood Products in the United States................................................ 65 Demand for wood products in the United States ...................................................................... 65 Capacity of Ghana’s wood products industry........................................................................... 66 Lumber...................................................................................................................................... 66 Sliced veneer, rotary veneer and plywood................................................................................ 66 Machined Products ..................................................................................................................... 66 Competitiveness of Ghanaian Wood Products in the United States...................................... 67 Requirements or Standards for Ghanaian Wood Products in the U.S. Market................... 67 Voluntary standard