Aug 04, 2010. /Lesprom Network/. In the period from January to May 2010, wood product exports from Pará, Brazil, increased 10% compared to the same period last year. Timber product exports totalled 161,000 tonnes, $161 million in value, ITTO reported. However, producers are not satisfied with the numbers because exports are still 50% lower than recorded in 2008, before the economic crisis. The timber companies believe that as the US house construction sector recovers from the crisis, demand for tropical timber from Pará will grow. Besides the continued economic depression, another factor causing weak export performance is the appreciation of the Brazilian Real against the US dollar. To ease the situation, Brazilian timber companies have requested the government to address the problems of raw material shortage and excess bureaucracy on timber operations.