B.C. softwood lumber exports to China reached 387 million board feet in January, according to the provincial government, a 57-per-cent increase over the same month last year.
The total translated into $68.9 million worth of sales, up 11.7 per cent.
Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell was pleasantly surprised by the increase in volume, noting that January is typically a slow month because of Chinese New Year, although he acknowledged prices were higher last year.
"The rumours of all the wood stacked up on the docks and no lumber moving doesn't appear to have been born out," Bell said.
Sales of minerals into China stood at $84.2 million, a 145-per-cent increase year-over-year, while machinery and equipment sales were $23.7 million, up 285 per cent.
Total exports to China stood at $378.1 million, up 31 per cent.
"Pretty good news story and when people look around and see the amount of lumber moving down the highway and new mines opening up, it starts adding up where that's all going," Bell said.
