Wood products coming through Taicang Port rose 27 per cent to 10.29 million cubic metres between January and November 2017, exceeding the 10 million mark for the first time according to the Taicang Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.
Log volume soared 41 per cent year-on-year to 7.26 million cubic metres; sawn wood volume was up 10 per cent to 3.04 million cubic metres.
Canada, New Zealand, Russia, Australia and the USA were the top five suppliers, accounting for 93 per cent of total imports through Taicang.
Shipments from Australia more than doubled. Imports from America increased 83 per cent; from New Zealand, 73 per cent; from Canada, 10 per cent. Russian imports, however, fell three per cent.
Timber imports through Zhenjiang Port also rose 18 per cent to 1.15 million cubic metres as at end November, fueled by shipments from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA, Uruguay, Japan, Estonia and Guatemala. The main species imported were Radiata pine, Douglas fir, Caribbean pine, Japanese cedar and hoop pine.
Zhenjiang, a city on the east coast, is also a major hub for wood processing. The Xinminzhou Industrial Zone, a major industrial park, was recently completed. It covers over 300 hectares and is specifically built for the timber sector.
Photo by Guillaume Bolduc on Unsplash
Source: ITTO
