Canada Wood Japan Secures Recognition of New Hem-fir(N) Design Values
Canada Wood Japan has helped secure an important market-access outcome for Canadian Hem-Fir (N) dimension lumber in Japan.
In collaboration with the National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA) Canadian Wood Council and the Canadian Lumber Standards Accreditation Board (CLSAB), Canada Wood Japan worked with Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to obtain recognition of the revised standard design values for Hem-Fir (N) dimension lumber graded under NLGA standards.
For builders, designers and structural engineers in Japan, design values are essential. They provide the basis for structural calculations and help determine where and how lumber can be used in code-compliant buildings. When grading rules or design values are revised in Canada, those changes must also be properly understood and accepted by Japanese regulatory authorities to ensure continued market access.
Dr. Yusuke Neriko, Technical Manager at Canada Wood Japan, led the technical work supporting the MLIT review. Canada Wood Japan demonstrated that the revised Hem-Fir (N) design values would continue to meet Japan’s structural safety requirements and would not compromise the performance of conventional wooden buildings. This technical submission helped secure MLIT’s acceptance and led directly to the official issuance of the new design values.
As a result, Hem-Fir (N) lumber graded under NLGA standards can continue to be used in Japan. This outcome is significant because it protects an established market for Canadian dimension lumber and provides Japanese builders and designers with continued access to a reliable structural wood product.
In Japan, market access depends not only on product quality, but also on the ability to secure code recognition, demonstrate structural performance, and work closely with government and industry partners. Canada Wood Japan’s ongoing technical work supports these objectives and helps maintain confidence in Canadian lumber among Japanese regulators, builders and specifiers.