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PROJECT PROFILE: Evergreen Building Products Association (EBPA, 2012 award)
Potential buyers from Asia are usually impressed by the manufacturing and quality control processes thay see when the visit the United States. Reverse trade missions like the one to Oregon shown above, give potential buyers more reasons to buy with confidence. image: EBPA
China's Demand for Better Housing
Each year 20 million people in China need new homes. This is roughly equivalent to the entire population of Australia buying or renting a new home each year. China’s demand for housing, building materials, and design services is robust. Through its MDCP partnership with ITA, EBPA set out to help U.S. makers of building materials take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity.
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MDCP Award/EBPA Match: $299,063/$698,923
Markets Targeted: China
U.S. Industry Promoted: Building materials, architectural services
Period: 2012-2018
Key ITA Collaborators:
- Gary Stanley, I&A/Office of Materials
- Bob Deane, GM/USEAC Seattle
- Shujuan Cao, GM/CS Beijing
Project Description:
- Lead technical seminars & trade missions to secure design & materials supply contracts.
- Advise China officials regarding building codes to ensure open market access.
Project Milestone Report (Part B)
Projected Exports Generated by 2018: $400,000,000
Exports Generated by 2018.09.30: $200,981,428
Exports Per Dollar of Award: $672
U.S. firms will not get export orders if they do not understand the market. EBPA and ITA help these firms to offer what Chinese homebuyers, planners, designers, and builders want. For example, while much of the demand is driven by people leaving the countryside to live in urban areas, a significant portion of the opportunities arise from the country’s growing middle class. They already have homes but want to upgrade.
Age and Energy
Another part of the demand is driven by the greying of China’s population. As residents of China live longer, they and their children, who are likely to provide for them, need long-term housing solutions. Currently, adequate senior living arrangements in China do not come close to meeting the demand. U.S. firms that can provide design as well as building-material solutions will profit well by understanding the market..
China’s use of energy for heating, cooling, and lighting buildings has skyrocketed. It overtook the United States as the world’s top energy consumer five years earlier than had been projected. The government of China plans significant reductions of energy use per unit of gross domestic product. To meet its specific goals, the government is focusing on building more energy-efficient commercial and residential buildings and retrofitting existing buildings. These aspirations cannot be met without updating building codes.
Retrofits Require New Codes
Through its U.S.-China Build program, EBPA is already engaged with China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC). EBPA is leveraging this existing relationship by working with MOC code committees to help gain recognition within the Chinese construction codes for U.S. manufacturing, testing, and design standards for wood building materials and energy efficiency products.
With EBPA, U.S.-China Build, and its allies continue to participate in the MOC timber construction committee to modify the China Code for Design of Timber Structures, and fire testing committees to promote recognition of U.S. fire standards for glued-laminated wooden structural members. Gaining official recognition of U.S. fire testing standards helps create significant new opportunities for heavy timber construction in public buildings in China.
MDCP project work also includes helping the Chinese to develop quality control/quality assurance (QC/QA) systems. These ensure that materials and systems being used in wood construction in China meet international standards, that U.S. wood product structural grade marks are protected and recognized, and that building practices do not damage the integrity and reputation of wood as a building material.
IT12MAS1120004 -- SF case 90927
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EBPA is a non-profit building products trade association that promotes U.S. building materials and design services internationally. EBPA is made up of businesses, government agencies, universities, and trade associations interested in promoting western-style construction, U.S. building products, and related services in international markets. While based in the Pacific Northwest, EBPA represents companies from throughout the United States. The International Trade Administration has been cooperating with EBPA since 2001 to provide affordable and effective promotional activities..
EBPA contact: Rose Braden
- EBPA home page
- How to apply for MDCP funding
- Contact your local Export Assistance Center
- Tradeology blog: Constructing partnerships
- New Building Code Allows U.S. Timbers
- Selected highlights of MDCP projects addressing trade barriers
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