US timber exports to the Philippines are expected to rise by about 30% this year, reaching roughly US$28 million, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture. The increase reflects a growing shortage of construction-grade wood in the country, as demand from large building projects continues to outpace local supply.
The USDA notes that the Philippines is increasingly dependent on foreign timber and remains a net importer of logs and lumber. This reliance is driven by steady growth in construction, furniture production, and infrastructure development, and is considered a long-term structural issue rather than a temporary imbalance.
Demand is being fueled by major condominium and hotel projects in Metro Manila, targeting wealthy retirees and expatriates, as well as public infrastructure projects such as airport terminals that increasingly use timber. As developers seek stable supplies of quality wood, imports are becoming essential.
Although the Philippines has around 30 million hectares of forest land, only about seven million hectares are covered by dense forests. Years of deforestation and land degradation have sharply limited domestic timber production, reinforcing dependence on imports.
Softwood lumber now makes up more than half of US timber shipments to the Philippines and remains central to the construction and furniture industries. The US also supplies pine, oak, veneer sheets, cooperage products, and pallets, ranking as the country’s seventh-largest timber exporter last year.
The USDA expects further growth in exports, particularly in hardwood and engineered wood products such as glue-laminated timber. However, wider adoption is still limited by higher shipping costs and lower familiarity compared with products from ASEAN suppliers. Overall, the Philippines is seen as a market with strong untapped potential for US wood products as construction demand continues to rise and domestic forests decline.
