US Dollar Exchange Rates of
25th March 2016
China Yuan 6.5204
Report from China
Encouraging housing data ¨C has the corner been
turned?
Activity in China¡¯s real estate sector in the first two
months of 2016 has been reported by the National Bureau
of Statistics (NBS). China releases combined data for
January and February to smooth out the effect of the
slowdown in construction over the Lunar New Year
holiday period.
The press release from the NBS says total investment in
the first two months of 2016 was up 3% year-on-year.
Investment in residential buildings was up by 1.8% and
accounted for two thirds of total investment in the sector.
Sales of residential buildings in the first two months of
this year rose as the authorities eased credit requirements
to encourage consumers to buy homes.
New home sales rose almost 50% year on year during the
January-February period. For 2015 home sales nationwide
rose almost 17% after the decline in 2014 But, looking
ahead, in the first two months of this year land purchases
by real estate development enterprises fell 19.4% year on
year however, the January and February performance was
a considerable improvement on the steep declines recorded
at the end of last year.
In the first two months of this year sales of commercial
buildings increased 28%, a sharp rise on the pace of
growth last year.
For the full data see:
http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/201603/t20160316
_1331871.html
Slight rise in 2015 wood products exports
The total value of China¡¯s forest product exports in 2015
rose 4% to US$75.3 billion. Of the total, the value of
wood products rose 3% to USD6.14 billion. Nearly 90%
of wood products comprised furniture, paper, paperboard
and paper products, builders¡¯ woodwork, plywood and
fiberboard.
USA the main market for furniture
The total value of China¡¯s furniture exports in 2015 rose
4% to US$2.29 bil. Just over 65% of all China¡¯s furniture
exports went to 10 countries as shown below.
The main market, at almost 35% of exports, was the US. A
string of second tier countries and territories ech
accounting for around 5% of exports included the UK,
Hong Kong and Japan.
The main departure ports for China¡¯s furniture exports in
2015 were Shenzhen and Shanghai which accounted for
25% and 19% respectively of all furniture exports.
US and Japan main markets for China¡¯s builders¡¯
woodwork
The total value of China¡¯s builders¡¯ woodwork exports in
2015 was almost US$6 billion, a year on year increase of
9%. The main markets were the US and Japan which
accounted for 30% and 13% respectively of the national
total.
The main exit ports for China¡¯s builders¡¯ woodwork was
Shenzhen, Ningbo, Dalian and Fuzhou ports which
accounted for 17%, 16%, 11.2% and 11.1% respectively
of the national total.
Decline in China¡¯s plywood exports in 2015
China¡¯s plywood exports totaled 10.77 million cubic
metres in 2015 valued at USD5.5 billion, a year on year
decline of 8% in volume and 5% in value.
Chinese plywood exporters shipped to multiple markets in
2105. The main markets in terms of value were the USA
(17%), UAE (6.8%), UK (6.7%), Japan (6.2%), South
Korea (6.1%), Philippine (5.6%) and Saudi Arabia (4.6%).
The value of plywood exports to the top 10 markets
accounted for 61% of all 2105 plywood exports.
The 2015 average price for plywood exported to
developed countries was higher than to less developed
countries because of quality and end-use differences. In
2015 the average price of plywood shipped to the UAE,
Philippines and Saudi Arabia rose 19%, 3% and 7%
respectively but average prices for the US, Japanese and
South Korean markets declined in 2015.
The main exit points for plywood exports in 2015 were
Nanjing and Qingdao ports which accounted for 40% and
36% respectively of the national total.
Plywood exports through Tianjin ports plummeted 47%
but the average price of shipments surged 64%.
The average price for plywood exports through Shanghai
and Nanjing ports rose 6% and 2% respectively but the
average prices through the rest of the ports declined on
varying degree.
China¡¯s 2015 fibreboard exports slide
China¡¯s fiberboard exports in 2015 totaled 3.41 million
cubic metres valued at USD1.4 billion, a year on year drop
of 12% in volume and 13% in value. It can be seen from
the following graph that China¡¯s fiberboard exports fell
sharply in March but never fully recovered.
China¡¯s firerboard exports were distributed between three
largest markets, the US, Iran and Saudi Arabia (36.5% of
all fibreboard exports). Exports to the US, Canada and
Russia fell 19%, 34% and 68% respectively in 2015. The
drop was mainly because of formaldehyde emission
issues. However, China¡¯s fibreboard exports to Vietnam,
Nigeria and Iran surged 69%, 57% and 40% respectively.
Shanghai and Nanjing Ports accounted for 41% and 31%
respectively of all fibreboard exports in 2015.
  
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