Commodities: Jacksonville, Philadelphia

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Mississippi-based American Log Handlers (ALH) is now exporting southern yellow pine logs to China through the Port of Jacksonville. The first frozen boneless Uruguayan lamb to be imported into the U.S. market since 2001, arrived at Philadelphia's Packer Avenue Marine Terminal on March 6.

Yellow Pine Logs from Florida and Georgia Head to China via Jacksonville

Mississippi-based American Log Handlers (ALH) is now exporting southern yellow pine logs to China through the Jacksonville Port Authority's Blount Island and TraPac Marine Terminals. The logs are sawn into lumber in China for manufacture into forming frames used to mold concrete for housing structures.

ALH expanded to Northeast Florida in November 2013 by establishing a log yard in Yulee (FL). The company purchases logs from yellow pine timberland owners in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, and it debarks the logs at the yard before shipping them to China in 40-foot-long containers through JAXPORT's terminals.

"Our new presence in Northeast Florida allows us to purchase logs locally that are too big to be processed by area 'Chip N Saw' mills and historically would have been trucked more than 100 miles to mills that could handle the size," said American Log Handlers President Leigh B. Allen. "It's a win-win. We've got a good business and the timberland owners have a new and better market for their timber."

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.

"The world's Top 3 pine exporters to China – Russia, Canada and New Zealand, which supply approximately 90 percent of the commodity – are no longer able to keep up with the demand due to limited growing space, or export limitations set by the country's government regulators or their own infrastructure needs," ALH's Allen said. "The Southeastern United States is essentially the last great untapped wood basket in the world for international trade."

The new business underscores JAXPORT's focus on significantly expanding its forestry product imports and exports during 2014.

"There is a great demand for forestry commodities – logs, lumber, wood chips, wood pellets and wood pulp – which are used in a variety of consumer products around the world," said JAXPORT Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Roy Schleicher. "JAXPORT is well-positioned to handle this cargo with our extensive warehouse space, great access to rail and interstate connections and ocean carriers servicing all the major trade lanes."

Philadelphia Imports Inaugural Shipment of Frozen Uruguayan Lamb Meat

Business leaders and government officials from Uruguay and the United States gathered at the Union League of Philadelphia on March 19 to mark the return of frozen boneless Uruguayan lamb meat to the U.S. market made possible by a recent ruling by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

The inaugural shipment, the first to arrive in the United States since 2001, was unloaded from the Hamburg Süd containership M/V Limari at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in on March 8. It consisted of 11 tons of lamb meat cuts, including frozen boneless lamb leg, loin eye and tenderloin "Nirea Premium Lamb," shipped by Frigorifico San Jacinto-NIREA of San Jacinto, Uruguay.

Uruguayan agricultural officials have been working with U.S. regulators for several years to improve control and ensure safe import of Uruguayan meats and produce. The APHIS ruling allowing for the import of frozen, boneless lamb products was made effective in November 2013, at which time Uruguayan and U.S. authorities worked on to establish protocols and certificates necessary to comply with U.S. regulations.

Packer Avenue Marine Terminal is operated by Holt Logistics under a lease agreement with the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.