US Dollar Exchange Rates of 15th May. 2009
China Yuan 6.8250
Report from China
China exports drop significantly in first quarter
Affected by the global economic crisis, China¡¯s foreign
trade in major forest products tumbled considerably in the
first quarter of 2009. This is mainly due to shrinking
markets of developed economies such as Europe, the US
and Japan, which are the main export markets of China.
The statistics from China Customs have shown China¡¯s
total import and export trade value of major forest
products declined for two successive quarters to only
USD11.768 billion in the first quarter of 2009, down
18.9% from the same period of last year. Of the total, the
country¡¯s import value was USD4.829 billion, down
27.8%, and the export value was USD6.939 billion, down
11%. The favorable trade balance continued to climb,
however, and reached USD2.11 billion, up USD968
million compared with USD1.142 billion in the same
period of last year.
1.1 Imports
Logs
A total of 5.6 million m³ of logs were imported by China
in the first quarter of 2009 valued at about 793.94 million
US dollars, down 34% by volume and 43% by value from
the same period last year. Of the total, softwood imports
were 3.877 million m³ valued at USD433.4 million,
accounting for 69.2% and 54.6% of the total, respectively.
Hardwood imports were 1.72 million m³ valued at
USD360.5 million, amounting to 30.8% and 45.4% of the
total, respectively. During the same period, tropical log
imports increased by 32.6% to reach 1.37 million m³,
making up 24.5% of the total imports.
The top five suppliers of logs to China were: Russia (3.34
million m³, accounting for 59.7% of the total); New
Zealand (531,500 m³, 9.5%); PNG (380,900 m³, 6.8%);
Solomon Islands (333,000 m³, 5.9%); and Gabon (236,600
m³, 4.2%). Russia was still the largest supplier, but its
export volume declined 43% and its share of total imports
from China dropped by 9.4 percentage points from the
same period last year.
Sawnwood
A total of 1.536 million m³ of sawnwood was imported in
the first quarter of 2009 and valued at USD373.43 million,
up 0.55% by volume and down 12.82% by value,
respectively, from the same period of last year. The major
suppliers of sawnwood to China were Russia (529,600 m³,
amounted to 34.5% of total); Canada (319,300 m³, 20.8%);
the US (142,900 m³, 9.3%); Thailand (137,100 m³, 8.9%);
and New Zealand (56,400 m³, 3.7%). The sawnwood
imports from these five countries reached 1.1853 million
m³, amounting to 77% of total sawnwood imports in
China.
Wood-based panels
The imports of wood-based panels continued to decline in
the first quarter of 2009. Of the total, plywood imports
were 33,400 m³, valued at USD19.33 million, down 57%
by volume and 56% by value from the same period of last
year. The import volume and value of fiberboard was
57,000 tons and USD23.80 million, respectively, down
32% by volume and 32% by value. The import volume
and value of particleboard was 49,700 tons and USD16.15
million respectively, declining 23% by volume and 34%
by value. Veneer imports were 10,500 tons valued at
USD13 million, down 44% by volume and 47% by value
from the same period last year.
Wood pulp and waste paper
Imports of both pulp and paper continued to increase
during this period. However, import values fell
considerably. Wood pulp imports reached 3.1 million tons
valued at USD1.465 billion, up 27% by volume and down
15% by value from the same period last year. Waste paper
imports were 5.93 million tons valued at USD658.27
million, up 0.29% by volume and down 49.73% by value.
Paper board and paper products
A total of 674,400 tons of paperboard and paper products
was imported, valued at USD748.73 million, down 24%
by volume and 25% by value, respectively, from the same
period last year.
Wooden furniture
Import of wooden furniture both by volume and value fell
during the first quarter of 2009. A total of 790,900 pieces
of wooden furniture was imported and valued at
USD69.173 million, down 7% by volume and 1% by value
from the same period last year.
Wood chips
A total of 217,200 tons of wood chips were imported
valued at USD28.24 million, down 27% in volume and
39% in value from the same period last year.
1.2 Exports
Wooden furniture
A total of 52.60 million pieces of wooden furniture
(including wood frame seats, bedroom furniture, office
furniture, kitchen furniture and other wooden furniture)
were exported valued at USD2.3 billion, down 4.7% by
volume and 2% by value from the same period last year.
Wooden furniture is an extremely important component of
China¡¯s forest products exports, accounting for one-third
of the total export value of forest products in the country.
Paperboard and paper products
A total of 1.16 million tons of paperboard and paper
products were exported and valued at USD1.44 billion,
down 31% in volume and 16.8% in value from the same
period of last year. Accounting for 21% of total export
value of forest products in China, paperboard and paper
products remain the second largest exported forest
product.
Other wood products
A total of USD649.2 million of other wood products
(including wooden doors and windows, flooring, wooden
handicrafts and wooden packages) were exported in the
first quarter of 2009, down 11% from the same period last
year.
Plywood
Plywood exports continued to decline dramatically in the
first quarter of 2009 to 959,600 m³ (USD462.18 million),
down 41% by volume and 38% by value from the same
period of last year.
Fiberboard and particleboard
Exports of both fiberboard and particleboard continued to
decline markedly in the first quarter of 2009. Fiberboard
exports were 219,900 tons (USD137.96 million), down
56% and 46% from the same period last year. During the
same period particleboard exports were 17,400 tons
(USD7.766 million), down 41% by volume and 17% by
value from the same period last year.
Sawnwood
In the first quarter of 2009 sawnwood exports continued to
drop and amounted to 134,500 m³ (USD85.4 million),
down 17% in volume and 4% in value from the same
period of last year.
¡¡ |
