Some other thoughts/possibilities:
Rather than export and then import, it should be faster to just directly INSERT INTO the new table, naturally doing a table lock on the new table.
Pre-allocate enough log space to handle the activity (you'd want to do this whatever method you use).
SQL DBA,SQL Server MVP(07, 08, 09) "It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing Milk-Bone underwear." "Norm", on "Cheers". Also from "Cheers", from "Carla": "You need to know 3 things about Tortelli men: Tortelli men draw women like flies; Tortelli men treat women like flies; Tortelli men's brains are in their flies".