China’s wood trade in 1H/2017: A breakdown

Source: Shanghai Timber Trade Association

Overview

• The total volume of imported round wood rose 7.9 per cent to 25.8 Mn cbm, worth US$4.55 Bn (+14.8% YoY).
• The volume of imported sawnwood rose 16.1 per cent to 18.12 Mn cbm, worth US$4.74 Bn (+24.2% YoY). For the first time, the value of sawnwood exceeded that of round wood.
• Over 70 per cent of the wood comes from Russia, New Zealand, North America; of this, Russia accounts for the majority, about 35 per cent.

Softwood imports

• Softwood round wood rose 9.5 per cent to 17.65 Mn cbm; value was US$2.3 Bn (+19.3%)
• Softwood sawn timber: 12.4 Mn cbm (+14.9%); value was US$2.37 Bn (+29.2%)
• Softwood from North America saw huge increases, with round wood from Canada increasing 33 per cent and from America, 21 per cent.
• Imports from Japan also increased 40 percent, mainly cedar and cypress.
• Softwood from Northern Europe climbed; from Finland, a 64 per cent increase and from Sweden, 31 per cent.

Fig. 1: Main supplier countries of softwood round wood in 1H/2017

Fig. 2: Species breakdown (round wood)

Fig. 3: Main supplier countries of softwood sawnwood in 1H/2017

Fig. 4: Species breakdown (sawn wood)

Hardwood imports

• Hardwood round wood rose 4.5 per cent to 8.13 Mn cbm; value was US$2.25 Bn (+10.4%)
• Hardwood sawn timber rose 18.7 per cent to 5.71 Mn cbm; value was US$2.36 Bn (+19.6%)
• Shipments from Latin America and North America were up 52 per cent and 40 per cent respectively.
• For the first time, tropical hardwoods from Brazil declined, reaching 1.35Mn cbm, a 23 per cent fall. 
• Sawn rubber wood from Thailand reached 2.17 Mn cbm, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of total hardwood sawn timber imports.

Fig. 5: Main supplier countries of hardwood round wood in 1H/2017

Fig. 6: Main supplier countries of hardwood sawnwood in 1H/2017

Wood-based products

• The value of imported wood-based products climbed 17.5 per cent to US$1.15 Bn.
• Wood-based panels are on an upward trend: Particleboard imports rose 46 per cent, vs a 42 per cent increase in 2016 compared to the year before.
• Low grade boards account for the majority of imports, which are mostly from Malaysia, Thailand and Romania. The higher grade boards are generally from Canada and Germany.

This article was first published in Panels & Furniture Asia (Nov/Dec 2017)