HEBEI, CHINA - Last Wednesday B.C. trade mission members travelled southwest of Beijing to see how the neighbouring province of Hebei has embraced lumber to become one of China's leading jurisdictions in wood-frame construction.
Hebei is one of the first to start using B.C. lumber to manufacture its own wood products for building and housing construction. Three truss plants have opened around Hebei in the past five months, including one in Shijiazhuang that can produce trusses for 400 apartment buildings per year.
Hebei's next major wood project is a Building Science Research Centre for the provincial Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. The centre's dormitory, auditorium and lobby will feature 3,600 square metres of wood-frame construction set to begin next month.
Pat Bell, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, said: "The Hebei government has shown a strong interest in stepping up to become one of the leaders in wood-frame construction in China. They know that B.C. wood products will enable Hebei to meet its commitment to urban development with low-carbon building materials."
With a population of about 9.4 million, Shijiazhuang is the capital and largest city in the Province of Hebei. Hebei has a population of 70 million people and a provincial GDP of over $240 billion per year - the sixth-largest in China.
– from Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation