US
Dollar Exchange Rates of 15th February
2007
China Yuan
7.756
Report from China
Chinese manufacturers raise plywood prices
Chinese plywood manufacturers announced prices hikes for Europe in autumn last year, but these had only been
partly implemented, according to Euwid. However, a new mark-up in freight rates in early 2007 added pressure on
manufacturers. Prices for 21mm poplar plywood have now
climbed to an average of US$350- 375 per m3 C&F.
Users continue to face difficulties to replace other
products with Chinese products as quality continues to vary considerably. European buyers have still not really
accepted Chinese birch plywood 4mm film/film as a substitute for Indonesian plywood. Demand for 4mm
film/film made of mixed tropical hardwood species has improved slightly recently. These products are being
quoted at $795-805 per m3 C&F. Poplar-bintangor l8mm BB/CC WBP raw plywood has recently firmed at
$315-320 per m3 C&F. From mid-February, most Chinese plywood manufacturers will idle production almost
completely for the Chinese New Year. Some sources have already reported a shortage in containers and delays in shipments in the run-up to the holidays.
China increases imports of raw materials and furniture
China¡¯s log imports totaled 32.15 million m3 ($3.9 billion) in 2006, up 9.5% (up 21% in value) from 2005. Tropical
logs accounted for 7.74 million m3 (24% of total log imports), up 4.3% from 2005. Log imports were mainly
from Russia (21.83 million m3, 68%), PNG (2.05 million m3, 6%), Malaysia (1.41 million m3, 4%), Myanmar (1.03
million m3, 3.2%) and Gabon (960,000 m3, 3%). Log imports came mainly through the ports of Manzhouli
(29%), Harbin (22%), Nanjing (21%), Hohhot (8.8%), Guangdong (4.3%), Shanghai (4.2%) and Kunming (2.8%).
China¡¯s sawnwood imports amounted to 6.07 million m3 ($1.7 billion), up 1.6% (up 12% in value) from 2005.
Sawnwood imports were mainly from Russia (1.17 million m3, 19%), the USA (1.02 million m3, 17%), Thailand
(710,000 m3, 12%), Indonesia (450,000 million m3, 7%) and Canada (400,000 m3, 6.5%). China¡¯s plywood imports
continued the downward trend in 2006, falling 30% to 413,400 m3 (down 29% to $197 million). Plywood came
mainly from Indonesia (225,000 m3) and Malaysia (116,000 m3), which together accounted for 82% of total
plywood imports. Imports of wooden furniture reached $118 million, up 44% from 2005.
Wood pulp and waste paper remained the leading import forest products in 2006. Wood pulp imports reached 7.96
million tones ($4.39 billion), up 5% (up 18% in value) from 2005. Waste paper imports surged 15% to 19.62
million tones (up 12% to $2.75 billion). Paper and paperboard imports amounted to 4.37 million tones ($3.4
billion), down 17% (down 4% in value) from 2005.
Exports of furniture and plywood soar to new highs
Exports of wooden furniture rose 39% to $8.78 billion in 2006. Wooden furniture remained the main export
product, accounting for 32% of China¡¯s total timber product exports. Main export markets were the USA
($4.17 billion, 47.5%), Hong Kong S.A.R. ($841 million, 9.6%), Japan ($595 million, 6.8%), the UK ($579 million,
6.6%), Canada ($328 million, 3.7%), Australia ($300
million, 3.4%) and Korea ($232 million, 2.6%). Plywood exports continued to grow, reaching 8.3 million m3 worth
$2.9 billion in 2006, up 49% and 55%, respectively, from 2005. Main export markets were the USA (2.18 million
m3, 26%), Japan (631,400 m3, 7.6%), the UK (539,500 m3,
6.5%), Korea (524,900 m3, 6.3%), UAE (354,200 m3, 4.3%) and Hong Kong SAR (247,300 m3, 3%).
China¡¯s sawnwood exports rose to 808,300 m3 ($353 million) in 2006, up 30% (up 27% in value) from 2005.
Exports went mainly to Japan (425,600 m3, 53%), the USA (113,600 m3, 14%), Korea (85,400 m3, 11%), Taiwan
PoC (41,600 m3, 5%), Vietnam (31,700 m3, 4%) and Hong
Kong SAR (25,400 m3, 3%). Exports of paper and paperboard amounted to 3.05 million tones valued at $2.2
billion in 2006, up 44% and 17%, respectively, from 2005.
Xianghe and CCCE sign furniture supply agreement
A strategic cooperation agreement was signed between China Center Central Europe (CCCE) and Xianghe¡¯s
funirture wholesale market recently, with the aim to meet demand from 400 wholesalers and 6,000 franchised stores
in Europe. Xianghe is located in Hebei province, 50 km
from Beijing and 70 km from Tianjin. Xianghe has about 39 exhibition halls and 2,300 enterprises featuring
products from Fujian, Zhejiang, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan PoC, Beijing, Tianjin and
other places. It had a turnover of 3 billion yuan in 2005 and most of its furniture is cheaper
than that sold in Beijing.
CCCE is located on Cologne, Germany, and was created by the American Chinese Trade & Investment
Association, the German MASCH Investment & Trade Co., Ltd, the European Marketing Network Center and the American International Logistics Company. CCCE has a
distribution network covering the 25 EU-member countries and procured over 100 billion yuan in 2005.
CCCE will select 100 large and medium size enterprises as furniture suppliers.
Chinafloors opens sales office in Atlanta
The Chinese wood flooring and laminate flooring producer Chinafloors Timber Shanghai Ltd., headquartered in
Shanghai, has opened a sales office for the North American market in Atlanta, Georgia, reported
Euwid. Chinafloors was founded in 2003 as a joint venture between Thomas Baert, Woody Zeng and Bruno
Descamps. Chinafloors has another sales office in Desselgem, Belgium.
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