The Economic Impact of Tennessee Forest Product Exports in 2023

Tennessee’s forestry industry is globally connected, and many sawmills in the state are dependent on global sales. About half of the higher-grade hardwood lumber produced in Tennessee is exported (Luppold et al., 2018). Consequently, changes in global markets can have a significant impact on Tennessee’s forest economy.

In this report, we discuss the economic impact of Tennessee’s forestry exports. We examine the export changes in 2023 (relative to 2022) across destination countries (e.g., China, European Union) and by product (e.g., oak lumber, hardwood logs, barrels), and further assess the full economic impact of export sales on income and jobs at the state level.

Tennessee’s forestry exports in 2023 were $149.1 million, a 23.1 percent reduction from the previous year, which is associated with an estimated total impact of $387.8 million. Estimates indicate that forestry exports support a total of 1,192 full-time and part-time jobs statewide.