Total May housing starts fell 1.3% to 79,539 units. The declines were uneven based on markets and building types. The mansion condominium market posted the strongest results with a 20.7% increase. Wooden starts fell 3.0% to 43,399 units…. more
In recent economic news Japan continues to forge ahead with free trade and has formally approved gambling resorts. On the trade front, CPTPP negotiators met in Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture in July to expedite implementation of the… more
While most people in Korea live in apartments, transactions of detached single family houses have increased every year since the 2010’s.
According to house transactions by housing type surveyed by the Korea Appraisal Board, transactions… more
The Advanced Technology Construction Training (ATCT) in its 14th year was held in Chilliwack, BC, Canada, from July 3 to 13, 2018 for 18 participants from Korea – 5 designers and architects, 10 builders and contractors, 1 building… more
Seismic design requirements were introduced for the first time in Korea in 1988 for buildings 6 storeys and higher or total floor area 100,000m2 and larger. The latest major revision was made in 2005 requiring building structures 3 storeys… more
BC softwood lumber export volume to South Korea for the first five months of 2018 decreased 20.3% to 99,261 cubic meters as compared to 124,495 cubic meters for the same period of 2017.
This significant decrease comes from continuously… more
Due to the ongoing government intervention to curb rising house prices and cool down the overheated housing market, South Korea’s housing starts in number of buildings for the first five months of 2018 decreased 15.5% to 35,591 buildings… more
South Korean economy expanded 3.1% last year and is expected to grow 2.9% this year. The country’s facility investment is expected to increase 1.5% this year, sharply slowing down from last year’s 14.6% on-year rise. Construction… more
Recently Kevin Bews (COFI, SPF Group) and I had the opportunity to visit a 1-storey non-residential platform-frame construction site in Yokote City, Akita Prefecture. Once completed, a Tokyo-based shoe design and manufacturing company… more
2018 Q2 highlights:
China has posted its Q2 GDP growth of 6.7%, slightly lower than 6.8 percent in Q1 of 2018. Tighter financial conditions (such as authorities continue to demolish on shadow banking and back up financial deleveraging)… more
It is probably every marketing director’s dream to see their promotional content going viral on social media platforms or create a ripple effect with the contents reaching a group of selected audience and their immediate circle… more
For the first time, Rugao Port of Jiangsu Province imported a total of 300 tons Canadian wood valued at US$121,000 on June 22.
The Canadian lumber has been transferred to a new and expanding wood industry park, which improves logistics and… more
China’s cabinet has released a three-year action plan on air pollution control, solidifying a timetable and road map for improving air quality.
Economic, legal, technological, and administrative means will be adopted in a… more
In 2018, Canada Wood is actively promoting the Midply Shear Wall System to architects, builders and wood products end users in Japan. During a recent visit to Vancouver in June, Scott Anderson and myself visited FP Innovations to discuss… more
This year Canada Wood will be featuring building assembly technical innovations in our Canadian Hybrid Post & Beam Demo House. As part of this project, one of the new promising trial initiatives that we are pursuing is Hem Fir (N)… more
An encouraging trend that we have seen taking place for our industry, is an increase in the number of agricultural building going up in Japan. As other developed countries around the world have done, Japan’s farm industry is… more
The heatwave of the summer started early this year. Tai Jeong and I visited Hanyang University on June 15 to give a special lecture as requested by senior the students before the end of the semester.
Professor Dong-Soo Han of the… more
On May 28th, 2018, the Maple Tree Planting and Stone Monument Unveiling ceremony took place at the Gapyeong Canada village, ‘Dong Yeon Jae.’ The ceremony was attended by the Canadian Ambassador, Eric Walsh, the director of the EEEA,… more
Jeff Culp, representing the Energy Efficient Exporters Association (EEEA) and the Super-E® Office, has visited Korea from May 23 to May 29, 2018. During the visit, he conducted a series of meetings and site visits and attended ceremonies… more
Another Super-E® Certification plaque unveiling ceremony was held for the CLT House located at Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, on May 24, 2018, in conjunction with the Jeff Culp’s visit to Korea. Mr. Culp is the General Manager of the… more
