An Analysis of Productivity Trends in the Canadian Forest Products Sector, 2000-2012

Ricardo de Avillez

International Productivity Monitor, 2014, vol. 27, 79-100

Abstract: The 2000-2012 period was a difficult time for the Canadian forest products sector. Yet despite an unfavourable environment the sector experienced an above-average productivity performance, driven in particular by the wood product manufacturing subsector. While the forestry and logging subsector has also benefited from strong productivity gains, the productivity performance of the paper manufacturing subsector has been far from impressive, especially in the post-2008 period. This article provides a detailed analysis of output, input and productivity trends in the Canadian forest products sector. It also looks at the key drivers of productivity in the sector, investigating potential barriers to productivity growth and discussing policies that could enable faster growth. Given the increasing role of countries with low-labour costs in several forest product markets, maintaining robust productivity growth is an imperative for the Canadian forest products sector if it wants to remain competitive internationally. In this sense, the article recommends renewed focus on human and physical capital investment, as well as on R&D spending.

Keywords: Productivity; Growth; Forestry; Canada; Research and Development; Capital Intensity; Human Capital; Physical Capital; Wood Product Manufacturing; Paper Manufacuturing; Forest Products Sector (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D24 E23 J00 J08 O13 O30 O51 Q20 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.csls.ca/ipm/27/27-rda.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sls:ipmsls:v:27:y:2014:9

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.csls.ca

Access Statistics for this article

International Productivity Monitor is currently edited by Andrew Sharpe, Executive Director

More articles in International Productivity Monitor from Centre for the Study of Living Standards 170 Laurier Ave. W, Suite 604, Ottawa, ON K1P 5V5. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CSLS ( this e-mail address is bad, please contact ).