China Customs data is showing that China’s log imports from ASEAN in the first quarter of 2020 were 14,209 cubic metres valued at US$16.5 million, a drastic decline of over 90% in both value and volume compared to the same period in 2019, reported ITTO.
First quarter 2020 log imports from the main ASEAN countries; Laos 7,417 cubic metres, Vietnam 1,753 cubic metres, Cambodia 1,733 cubic metres and Indonesia 1,286 cubic metres were over 90% less than a year earlier.
China’s log imports from ASEAN in 2019 totalled 179,468 cubic metres valued at US$174 million, down 34% in value and 29% in value respectively over 2018. In 2019 China’s log imports from Laos dropped 30%, Cambodia (-56%), Malaysia (-62%) and Vietnam (-62%).
Sharp decline in sawnwood imports from ASEAN
According to China Customs sawnwood imports from ASEAN countries in the first quarter of 2020 totalled 862,056 cubic metres valued at US$254 million, down 81% in volume and 82% in value respectively over the same period of 2019.
Over 75% of China’s sawnwood imports are sourced from Thailand alone and in the first quarter of 2020 they totalled 675,457 cubic metres valued at US$186 million, down 81% in volume and 82% in value respectively. A further 7% of China’s sawnwood imports come from the Philippines (62,712 cubic metres valued at US$6 million) but here too, there was an over 80% decline in the first quarter.
China’s sawnwood imports from ASEAN in 2019 came to 4.64 million cubic metres valued at US$1.43 billion, down 18% in value and 28% in value over 2018. In 2019, 77% of China’s sawnwood imports were imported from Thailand (3.59 million cubic metres valued at US$1.04 billion) but there was a y-o-y decline of 19% in volume and 26% in value. In 2019, a further 8% of China’s sawnwood imports were sourced in the Philippines and amounted to 378,619 cubic metres valued at US$46 million, up 18% in volume and 5% in value y-o-y.
