During the 6th China Global Wood Trade Conference (GWT) in Wuhan from 13 to 14 September, there was considerable interest in Swedish wood products, spelling good news for Swedish sawmills and the trade organisation Swedish Wood after years of promoting Swedish softwood in China.
Swedish Wood in Wuhan
China represents an important market for the Swedish sawmills industry. Swedish Wood, in conjunction with its member sawmills, carried out a number of marketing initiatives during GWT, which focused on the high quality of Swedish wood and the sustainability of Swedish forestry.
“The objective behind our participation in GWT in Wuhan was to focus on the excellent quality of Swedish wood and the many possibilities it represents as well as to establish new contact opportunities between representatives from the Swedish sawmills and potential Chinese customers,” said Charlotte Dedye Apelgren, Director Interior and Design at Swedish Wood.
Swedish exports of softwoods have been on the rise since 2013 where sales volume reached 400 000m3, three times more compared to the year before. This year, this figure is expected to hit a new record of 800,000m3.
Swedish softwood exports to China over the years. Source: Swedish Wood.
The 6th China Global Wood Trade Conference (GWT) was held in Wuhan from 13 to 14 September. Swedish Wood was one of the event’s partners.
In 2015 China’s Housing Minister and head of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Chen Zhenggao, signed a directive calling for increased use of wood in future construction, a positive decision for exports of Swedish sawn and value added wood products to China.
“The directive represents a huge breakthrough for wood construction in the world’s biggest construction market. China is faced with major challenges in the environmental sector and, by choosing a renewable building material such as wood, it reduces its impact on climate,” said Susanne Rudenstam, Director Construction at Swedish Wood.
The GWT is organised by China Timber and Wood Products Distribution Association (CTWPDA). Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, has as population exceeding nine million and is an important trading hub between central and western China.
