US Dollar Exchange Rates of
26th March 2015
China Yuan 6.21
Report from China
Softwood log imports fell while hardwood log imports
rose in 2014
China„s 2014 log imports (soft and hardwoods) totalled
51.2 million cubic metres valued at US$11.78 billion, up
13% and 26% respectively over 2013. The average landed
price for imported logs was US$230 per cubic metre, a
year on year increase of 12%. New Zealand (11.57 million
cu.m) just beat Russia (11.37 million cu.m) as the main
log supplier to China in 2014.
Of the total, softwood log imports amounted to 35.84
million cubic metres, down 16% year on year and the
proportion of saftwoods in total imports increased 8%
Softwood log imports were mainly from:
New Zealand (11.57 million cu.m, up 1%)
Russia (10 million cu.m, up 8%)
USA (5.54 million cu.m, up 5%)
Canada (3.02 million cu.m, up 11%)
Australia (2.15 million cu.m, up 36%)
Ukraine (1.56 million cu.m, up 15%)
Japan (0.31 million cu.m, up 166%)
France (0.30 million cu.m, down 11%).
Softwood log imports from these countries made up 96%
of all softwood log imports in 2014. Softwood log imports
from New Zealand and Russia accounted for 60% of all
2014 softwood log imports.
The average price for softwood log imports was about
US$151 per cubic metre in 2014, a year on year decline of
1.3%. Around 90% of of all imported log are imported by
Jiangsu, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, Fujian, Shanghai,
Heilongjiang and Tianjin provinces and municipalities.
Hardwood log imports totaled 15.36 million cubic metres,
or 30% of all log imports, a year on year increase of 26%
in volume. Hardwood log imports were mainly from:
PNG (3.3 million cu.m, up 20%)
Solomon Islands (2.19 million cu.m, up 8%)
Russia (1.37 million cu.m, up 42%)
Myanmar (0.8 million cu.m, down 15%)
Mozambique (0.61 million cu.m, up 76%)
Republic of Congo (0.57 million cu.m, up 14%)
USA (0.56 million cu.m, up 64%)
Nigeria (0.51 million cu.m, up 759%)
Equatorial Guinea (0.50 million cu.m, down 15%)
Cameroon (0.48 million cu.m, up 10%).
The average price for imported hardwood log imports was
around US$413 per cubic metre in 2014, a year on year
increase of 18%. 50% of the hardwood logs are imported
for consumption in Jiangsu province and 15% by
Guangdong province, 9% by Zhejiang province, 7% by
Heilongjiang, 6% by Shanghai municipalities, 5% by
Yunnan province, 2% by Liaoning province and 6% in the
other provinces.
Tropical log imports in 2014 rose 27 percent to 11.8
million cubic metres accounting for 23% of all log imports
and 77% of all hardwood log imports.
Softwood log imports from Japan and hardwood log
imports from Nigeria rose dramatically, but softwood log
imports from France and hardwood log imports from
Myanmar fell 11% and 15% respectively.
Russia tops Canada as number one sawn softwood
supplier
Sawnwood imports totalled 25.65 million cubic metres in
2014 and were valued at US$8.0 billion, up 7% in volume
and 19% in value on the previous year. The average price
for imported sawnwood was US$373 per cubic metre, a
year on year increase of 13%.
Of the total, coniferous sawnwood imports rose 4% to
17.64 million cubic metres, at a similar level with 2013.
Coniferous sawnwood imports were mainly from the
following top 10 countries:
Russia (7.21 million cu.m, up 12%),
Canada (6.57 million cu.m, down 3.4%),
Chile (0.85 million cu.m, down 3.1%),
USA (0.84 million cu.m, down 4.2%),
Sweden (0.44 million cu.m, up 20%),
Finland (0.39 million cu.m,down 2.5%),
New Zealand (0.37 million cu.m, down 26%),
Germany (0.29 million cu.m, up 38%),
Brazil (0.10 million cu.m, up 44%)
France (0.09 million cu.m, up 3.4%).
Imports from the top 10 suppliers accounted for 97% of all
coniferous sawnwood imports. Coniferous sawnwood
imports from Russia and Canada together accounted for
78% of sawn softwood imports.
Coniferous sawnwood imports in 2014 from Russia were
higher than from Canada for the first time. The average
price for coniferous sawnwood imports was about US$217
per cubic metre in 2014, a year on year increase of 1.4%
slightly.
The pace of coniferous sawnwood imports from Sweden,
Germany and Brazil was significantly higher than in 2013
while imports from New Zealand were dramatically lower
than in 2013.
The main species of coniferous sawnwood imports were
spruce, fir (40%) and scots pine (31%).
Sawn hardwood imports higher than softwoods
2014 sawn hardwood imports rose 14% to 8.01 million
cubic metres. Sawn hardwood imports were mainly from
the following top 10 countries:
Thailand (2.23 million cu.m, up 18%)
USA (1.96 million cu.m, up 11%)
Russia (0.69 million cu.m, up 16%)
Philippine (0.58 million cu.m, down 18%)
Indonesia (0.29 million cu.m, down 22%)
Malaysia (0.25 million cu.m, up 20%)
Gabon (0.24 million cu.m, up 47%)
Romania (0.23 million cu.m, up 14%)
Vietnam (0.20 million cu.m, up 38%)
Germany (0.16 million cu.m, up 13%)
Sawn hardwood imports from the countries above made
up 85% of all sawn hardwoodimports while sawn
hardwood imports from Thailand and the US made up
52% of the total. The average price for hardwood
sawnwood imports was US$529 per cubic metre in 2014, a
year on year increase of 18%. The pace of sawn hardwood
imports from Gabon and Vietnam was significantly higher
than in 2013.
Thailand was ranked first in terms of China‟s sawn
hardwood imports in 2014. The main species of sawnwood
from Thailand is rubberwood. It has been estimated that
90% of the sawn rubberwood in Thailand is exported to
China and around 80% of this are consumed by furniture
makers in Shunde City, Guangdong province.
Average plywood export prices show huge variations
China‟s plywood exports totalled 11.71 million cubic
metres, valued at US$5,810 million in 2014, up 14% in
volume and 15% in value from 2013. The average unit
price for exported plywood in 2014 was US$496 per cubic
metre, a year on year increase of 1.4%. China„s plywood
was exported mainly to the following markets:
USA (1,678,000 cu.m, up 25%)
Japan (829,000 cu.m, up 1.7%)
UK (716,000 cu.m, up 10%)
South Korea (711,000 cu.m, down 8%)
UAE (698,000 cu.m, up 64%)
Philippines (678,000 cu.m, up 69%)
Saudi Arabia (600,000 cu.m, up 41%)
The average export price for plywood was US$764 per
cubic metre in the US, US$498 per cubic metre in Japan,
US$489 per cubic metre in the UK, US$390 per cubic
metre in South Korea, US$367 per cubic metre in UAE,
US$429 per cubic metre in Philippine and US$309 per
cubic metre in Saudi Arabia.
Around 85% of China‟s plywood is exported by
manufacturers in Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong and
Guangxi but these manufacturers face tough price
competition and complain average prices have only risen
by around 10% in 5 years.
Wooden furniture exports mainly to the US
China„s wooden furniture exports in 2014 were 217
million pieces valued at US$14.05 billion, a year on year
rise 10% in pieces and 14 percent in value.
China„s wooden seat frame exports in 2014 were valued at
US$8.05 billion, a year on year rise in value of 14 percent.
China„s wooden furniture was exported mainly to the US,
Japan, UK, Australia, Germany and France.
    
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