US Dollar Exchange Rates of 14th April 2010
China Yuan 6.8257
Report from China
Trade surges
Housing demand in China remains strong and in the first
two months of 2010 demand jumped around 40%
compared to the same period in 2009. According to the
latest data, housing completions totaled over 900 million
square metres.
Strong domestic demand and the beginnings of a recovery
in the main western economies drove up both imports and
exports of wood products in the first two months of 2010.
Imports
Statistics from China Customs show that China’s log
imports totaled 4.62 million cubic metres in the first two
months of 2010, up 54 percent over the same period of last
year.
Of the total, log imports from Russia increased 31 percent
to 2.12 million cubic metres; imports from New Zealand
rose 140 percent to 0.16 million cubic metres and imports
from Malaysia were up 114 percent to 0.16 million cubic
metres.
A total of 1.647 million cubic metres of sawnwood were
imported, up 104 percent from 2009. Of the total,
sawnwood imports from Russia rose 77 percent, imports
from Canada were up 200 percent and imports from the
USA and Thailand increased 66 percent and 140 percent
respectively.
For wood-based-panels, imports of plywood rose 33
percent, particleboard imports were up 41 percent,
whereas imports of fiberboard fell almost 6 percent.
Furniture exports
Furniture exports in January and February 2010 totaled
US$ 1.4 billion. Exports to the USA, the largest export
market for Chinese wooden furniture, were worth US$428
million, up 32 percent over the same period of last year.
This figure was only 12 percent lower than that of 2007,
before the global financial crisis.
Exports of furniture to other principal markets also
increased. For example imports by Japan rose 5 percent,
imports by the UK grew 59 percent and imports by
Germany were also higher.
The bulk of the furniture exports were from China’s
southeastern coastal areas. Guangdong Province, the
largest furniture exporting base in China, exported wooden
furniture valued at US$ 572.42 million, up 43 percent over
the same period in 2009.
Panel product exports
During the first two months of 2010, China’s exports of
plywood were 938,000 cubic metres, up 67 percent on the
same period in 2009. Of the total, 173,000 cubic metres
went to the United States, up 40,300 cubic metres over the
same period of 2009.
Plywood exports to the UK rose sharply in January and
February (195 percent), Japan’s imports jumped 57
percent, South Korea increased imports by 118 percent
and the United Arab Emirates imports from China rose
115 percent.
The main plywood exporters are in Shandong, from where
some 361,000 cubic metres was exported in the first two
months (up 83%); Jiangsu, 311,300 cubic metres (up
58%); Zhejiang, 62,800 cubic metres (up 61%);
Guangdong, 49,800 cubic metres (up 86%) and Shanghai,
26,400 cubic metres, up 22 percent.
Exports of MDF also increased in the first months of 2010.
A total of 226,700 tonnes of MDF were exported during
this period, up 95 percent year on year. Of the total, MDF
exports to the USA rose 59 percent, to Russia by 140
percent, to Korea by 126 percent, to Canada by 187
percent, to the UAE 120 percent and to Saudi Arabia by
10 percent.
Exports of MDF mainly came from Jiangsu (146,500
tons), Shandong (17,500 tonnes), Guangdong (12,300
tonnes), Shanghai (10,600 tonnes), Zhejiang (7,600
tonnes) and Guangxi (5,300 tonnes). Exports of
particleboard were only 13,700 tonnes but were still up 40
percent over 2009.
Trade in wooden doors and windows - 2009
China’s trade in wooden doors and windows suffered
seriously in 2009. For the year exports plunged and
imports fell sharply.
Chinafloor 2010
Chinafloor 2010, showcasing domestic and international
flooring suppliers, has recently been concluded. This
year's parquet and laminate section gathered many
domestic industry leaders. Companies present included
World of Friends, Lulin, Fudeli, Anrantabu, Sterling
Pacific, Yan Kanon, New Sihe, Sino-Maple, Kanglong, A
and W, Jiusheng, Plantation, Jilin Forestry Jinqiao, Yihua,
Yongyu, Kentierwood, were all present at the exhibition.
Domestic manufacturers are now as keen on the local
market as the export markets and this, in part, explains the
good attendance of local companies at the show.
During the show more than 500 participants from around
the world discussed the implications of environmental
developments on the production and marketing for
flooring at a conference addressing the ‘Low Carbon
Economy and Global Opportunity’.
The conference discussed the influence of low carbon
economy on development of wooden flooring industry.
The issues under discussion covered a number of areas
such as trade, standards, technology, recycling and product
marketing.
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