US Dollar Exchange Rates of
25th
May
2020
China Yuan 7.1693
Report from China
Real estate sales in the first four months of 2020
China¡¯s National Bureau of Statistics has reported that
investment in real estate development in the first four
months of 2020 was down 3.3% year on year and
investment in residential buildings dropped over 4% in the
same period. The value of land purchased for real estate
development in the first four months of 2020 was 12%
lower than in the same period in 2019.
See:
http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202005/t20200518_1745962.html
Dramatic decline in log imports from ASEAN
China Customs data is showing that China¡¯s log imports
from ASEAN in the first quarter of 2020 were 14,209
cubic metres valued at US$16.5 million, a drastic decline
of over 90% in both value and volume compared to the
same period in 2019.
First quarter 2020 log imports from the main ASEAN
countries; Laos 7,417 cubic metres, Vietnam 1,753 cubic
metres, Cambodia 1,733 cubic metres and Indonesia 1,286
cubic metres were over 90% less than a year earlier.
China¡¯s log imports from ASEAN in 2019 totalled
179,468 cubic metres valued at US$174 million, down
34% in value and 29% in value respectively over 2018. In
2019 China¡¯s log imports from Laos dropped 30%,
Cambodia (-56%), Malaysia (-62%) and Vietnam (-62%).
Sharp decline in sawnwood imports from ASEAN
According to China Customs sawnwood imports from
ASEAN countries in the first quarter of 2020 totalled
862,056 cubic metres valued at US$254 million, down
81% in volume and 82% in value respectively over the
same period of 2019.
Over 75% of China¡¯s sawnwood imports are sourced from
Thailand alone and in the first quarter of 2020 they
totalled 675,457 cubic metres valued at US$186 million,
down 81% in volume and 82% in value respectively. A
further 7% of China¡¯s sawnwood imports come from the
Philippines (62,712 cubic metres valued at US$6 million)
but here too there was an over 80% decline in the first
quarter.
China¡¯s sawnwood imports from ASEAN in 2019 came to
4.64 million cubic metres valued at US$1.43 billion, down
18% in value and 28% in value over 2018.
In 2019, 77% of China¡¯s sawnwood imports were
imported from Thailand (3.59 million cubic metres valued
at US$1.04 billion) but there was a year on year decline of
19% in volume and 26% in value. In 2019 a further 8% of
China¡¯s sawnwood imports were sourced in the
Philippines and amounted to 378,619 cubic metres valued
at US$46 million, up 18% in volume and 5% in value year
on year.
Rise in plywood imports from Vietnam in 2019
China¡¯s plywood imports from ASEAN in 2019 fell to
49,424 cubic metres valued at US$26.28 million, down
26% in value and 23% in value over 2018.
Imports from the main supply countries of ASEAN,
Malaysia and Indonesia declined in 2019. Imports from
Malaysia dropped 39% and from Indonesia there was a
decline of 24% (22,948 cubic metres and 21,074 cubic
metres respectively).
However, China¡¯s plywood imports from Vietnam in 2019
rose substantially in 2019 to 5,273 cubic metres.
Due to the impact of the pandemic, China¡¯s plywood
imports from ASEAN in the first quarter 2020 fell
dramatically to 9,840 cubic metres valued at US$4.66
million, down 80% in volume and 82% in value over the
same period of 2019.
Dramatic rise in plywood exports to Myanmar
in 2019
China¡¯s plywood exports rose to ASEAN countries in
2019 and totalled 4.5 million cubic metres valued at
US$1.01 billion, up 79% in volume but only 1% in value
over 2018.
Over 75% of China¡¯s plywood exports to ASEAN
countries were shipped to Myanmar, the Philippines and
Vietnam. Shipments to Myanmar rose dramatically to 1.87
million cubic metres, to Vietnam shipments rose 23% to
615,585 cubic metres.
However, China¡¯s plywood exports to the Philippines fell
2% to 1 million cubic metres in 2019.
In the first quarter 2020 China¡¯s plywood exports to
ASEAN fell dramatically to 418,415 cubic metres valued
at US$163 million, down 91% in volume and 84% in
value over the same period of 2019.
The main ASEAN importers (84%) of China¡¯s plywood
were the Philippines (130,812 cubic metres), Vietnam
(105,299 cubic metres), Malaysia (60,007 cubic metres)
and Thailand (57,235 cubic metres).
Furniture trade with ASEAN
The value of China¡¯s furniture imports from ASEAN
suddenly declined over 85% to US$30.95 million in the
first quarter of 2020. The main supply countries in
ASEAN, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia
and Laos saw exports plummet; Vietnam -90%, Malaysia
-87%, Thailand -84%, Indonesia -85% and Laos -87%.
The value of China¡¯s furniture imports in 2019 from
ASEAN countries also fell year on year dropping 19% to
US$2.62 billion. The main shippers in ASEAN, such as
Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Laos saw
declines of 26%, 1%, 2%, 32% and 15% respectively.
Vietnam is the top furniture supplier to China accounting
for 42% in the first quarter of 2020 and 51% in 2019.
The value of China¡¯s furniture exports to ASEAN also
dropped sharply (-81%) to US$210 million in the first
quarter of 2020. Exports to Malaysia fell 75%, to the
Philippines -82%, to Singapore -86%, to Indonesia -79%,
to Thailand -81% and to Vietnam -89%.
In 2019 the value of China¡¯s furniture exports to ASEAN
were down 9% to US$1.115 with 96% of shipments being
made to Malaysia US$297 million, Singapore US$230
million, the Philippines US$193 million and Indonesia
US$122 million. However, the value of China¡¯s furniture
exports to Thailand and Vietnam rose 5% and 10%
respectively.
China/ASEAN particleboard trade
China¡¯s particleboard imports from ASEAN in the first
quarter of 2020 were 49,828 tonnes valued at US$11.29
million, down 83% both in volume and in value. Thailand
and Malaysia were the main ASEAN suppliers accounting
for 65% and 33% of all imports from ASEAN countries.
In 2019 China¡¯s particleboard imports from ASEAN were
297,651 tonnes valued at US$67.59 million, down 26% in
volume and 31% in value. The suppliers were Thailand
(158,340 tonnes) and Malaysia (117,650 tonnes).
In contrast, China¡¯s particleboard exports to ASEAN in
2019, at 46,989 tonnes valued at US$25.72 million, were
up 60% in volume and 21% in value year on year. China¡¯s
particleboard exports to ASEAN amounted to 9,840
tonnes valued at US$5.73 million, down 79% in volume
and 78% in value respectively in the first quarter of 2020.
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