The logs are used in China as lumber, mostly in forming frames used to mold concrete for housing structures. ALH expanded to Northeast Florida in November 2013 by establishing a log yard in Yulee, Fla., creating 15 new direct jobs for the region. The company purchases logs from yellow pine timberland owners in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, and debarks the logs at the yard before shipping them to China in 40-foot-long containers through JAXPORT’s terminals. ALH sells the logs to Massachusetts-based International Forest Products LLC, which exports the cargo through JAXPORT via Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, China Shipping Container Lines Co. Ltd. and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). “The proximity of the port to the Yulee yard and the multiple Asian carriers that call on JAXPORT make it easy and cost-effective for us to move the cargo quickly,” said Charles Cunnion, Manager of Transportation and Logistics at International Forest Products LLC. Yellow pine lumber, a renewable resource, is used to build nearly 1 million homes in the United States each year. The housing market crash and subsequent drop in new housing starts created a surplus of the commodity, which – along with a decrease in supply to China from other areas of the world – make it a prime export product. The new business underscores JAXPORT’s focus on significantly expanding its forestry product imports and exports during 2014.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
