The Forests, Lumber Industry, and Timber Trade of Chile

Now that our relations with Latin America are commanding special attention, interest in the forest resources and industries of that area is renewed. Chile possesses a substantial supply of softwood and hardwood forests, a growing lumber industry, and an increasing home market for forest products. Conditions favor the establishment of productive forestry, although the place of forestry in the national economy is bound to be a minor one compared with the mining industry. While some increase in lumber exports and continued import of manufactured wood products are probable, the forest industries of Chile are primarily domestic, and no large foreign trade is to be expected.