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Senator urges action to save South Carolina’s forestry industry, calls for Port of Charleston bulk‑loading facility
Summary
Sen. Khamsin told the South Carolina Senate that lost markets for pulpwood are putting the state’s forestry industry at risk, urging construction of a bulk‑loading facility at the Port of Charleston and signaling he will pursue budget language and studies to help create markets.
Senator Khamsin told the Senate that South Carolina’s forestry industry is facing a market crisis after the loss of paper‑mill demand for pulpwood and urged state action to restore markets.
Khamsin, speaking with a delegation from the forestry industry in the gallery, said the sector is a major employer and contributor to the state economy — “it’s got a $23,000,000,000 economic impact,” he said — and warned that without buyers for pulpwood, landowners will sell property for development rather than maintain conservation easements.
“To ship wood chips overseas we need a bulk loading facility at the Port of Charleston,” Khamsin said, arguing that containerized shipping is too expensive and that a conveyor‑fed loading system is standard at ports in neighboring states. He added that pulpwood prices have collapsed in many areas: “It’s gone to like $2,” he said, citing a sharp fall from prior prices.
Senators asked questions about logistics, export restrictions and regulatory hurdles. On fumigation, Khamsin acknowledged there are requirements affecting certain markets — notably some European destinations — and said the industry is working to address those limits, but that other international markets remain available. He also discussed potential diversification through sustainable aviation fuel production and said he has included a budget proviso to study that option.
Khamsin stressed a mix of private‑ and public‑sector action: private firms are pursuing markets, he said, but public influence over the ports authority and targeted budget support can help accelerate solutions. He told colleagues he would “make an effort to try to get something like that in the budget.”
The exchange included several follow‑up questions from senators about rail support, the geographic reach of markets, and the ripple effects on local suppliers such as auto‑parts stores when logging crews shut down. Khamsin warned that capital costs to restart logging operations are high and that lost crews may not return without restored market demand.
The Senate did not take formal action on the proposal during the session; Khamsin’s remarks were delivered during introductions and announcements with industry visitors present.
