The first edition of Delhiwood, which ran from 14 to 17 February 2009 at Pragati Maidan Exhibition Centre in New Delhi provided the ideal venue for the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) to reach out to India’s northern market and to launch a significant addition to its long list of technical publications. At the same time, AHEC is able to report that US hardwood shipments to India reached record levels in 2008, rising by 76.3% from the previous year to a total value of $6.2 million. AHEC participated with a large stand in this focused and well attended fair, which provided an excellent opportunity to meet potential buyers and end users of American hardwood products. The 64 m2 stand displayed furniture made with American hardwoods, as well as samples of lumber and photographic examples of end uses. Thousands of AHEC’s technical publications were also distributed, alongside one-to-one grading demonstrations.In addition, Delhiwood provided the ideal opportunity for AHEC to launch a new publication specifically designed for India. American hardwoods and their suitability for the Indian market is the result of a collaborative effort between AHEC and the Indian Plywood Industries Research & Training Institute (IPIRTI) in Bangalore. It has been created for the specific role of assisting India’s architects, interior designers and furniture and joinery manufacturers in gaining a better understanding of the physical, mechanical and working properties of nine of America’s key commercial and exported hardwood species; red alder, ash, cherry, hard maple, soft maple, tulipwood, red oak, white oak and walnut. All nine species underwent a series of rigorous testing under strict IPIRTI laboratory conditions and according to Indian Standards. The publication was very well received at the trade fair and plans are being made for a programme of wide distribution across India in the coming months, as well as for a Hindi version. American hardwoods and their suitability for the Indian market couldn’t come at a better time, as American species are fast becoming increasingly well-established as high quality, interior furniture and joinery hardwoods in India’s rapidly expanding market. In fact, according to the latest data available, US$6.2 million worth of hardwood products were shipped from the USA to India during 2008. This marks a staggering increase of 76.3% over 2007, when imports reached US$3.5 million. Of the total value imported last year, hardwood logs accounted for US$1.9 million, hardwood lumber for US$1.4 million and hardwood veneer US$1.3 million. In addition, smaller amounts of other hardwood products, such as flooring, plywood and mouldings were also shipped from the US to India during 2008. Growth in US hardwood demand in India is expected to continue for the foreseeable future and while many parts of world are now entering a phase of economic uncertainty, the Indian market continues to enjoy a period of relative fiscal buoyancy and overall economic expansion. Imports of wood products have surged in recent years and American hardwoods have benefited directly from this increase in demand. They perform well in interior applications and their wide variety of colours and grain patterns, as well as their sustainable credentials and availability in a range of specifications allow for a broad spectrum of end uses in high end projects, both commercial and residential.