Timber sales largely unaffected by war in Iran
Impacts of the war in Iran on the timber industry will likely be minimal indicated by professionals in the industry. Matthew Pelkki, professor of Forestry at the University of Arkansas at Monticello and director of the Arkansas Center for Forest Business reported Arkansaw specifically exports about 17 % of its production of wood out of state. Overall exports to the Middle East and North Africa are a minor percentage, he expects the effects of this event on the hardwood sawmills and forest landowners to be minimal. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, the U.S. exports $8.75 billion of wood products in 2025, a number that is not slowing down.
“As far as internationally, our largest customer for Arkansas wood products is Mexico,” said Pelkki. “We do ship some hardwoods to the European Union, primarily Germany, and a lot of wood pellets to the United Kingdom.”
