Wood should just me one of the mixes in property construction. It's also not bad to export exotic high-priced species which will be used in luxury villas and import lower priced pressure treated, water proof, rot-resistant building lumber from the US.
Agree with you on your first sentence Bro, but we do have a case where years after years, Guyana's exotic species such as Wamara, Purple heart, and a few others, has been exported to the detriment of extinction. The building Lumber that is being imported Guyana is Pine/Oak which is inferior to our Green heart, using US imported Lumber has so many disadvantages, for example there is the concern of Wood Ants, which would make meals of Pine/Oak lumber despite being insect treated.
Now, I speak totally in the context of "sustainable" harvesting.
FYI, I know people doing well importing pressure treated and water proof (Marine) lumber and plywood. It's not the answer to everything, but a consideration, part of the mix.