China Wood Products Prices

01-15th May 2007

China expands trade of forest products
According to China’s Customs, the country’s imports of timber raw materials such as logs grew substantially in the first quarter of 2007. In contrast, imports of wood-based panel and paper products fell markedly. Meanwhile, exports of furniture, wood-based panels and sawnwood
increased at a higher rate.

China’s imports of raw timber materials swell 
Log imports reached 9.62 million m3 ($1.29 billion) in the first quarter of 2007, up 19% (up 44.2% in value) from the same period in 2006. The chart above shows that logs came mainly from Russia (71.3% of the total logs imports). The main log importing ports were Manzhouli,
Nanjing and Haerbin. Sawnwood imports amounted to 1.41 million m3 ($384.02 million), up 0.8% (up 3.3% in value) from last year. The chart below shows that sawnwood imports came mainly from Russia, the USA, Thailand and Canada. Sawnwood imports came mainly through the ports of Guangdong, Shanghai and Manzhouli. Plywood imports were 76,900 m3 ($39.56 million), down 27.6% (down 10.9% in value) from the same period in 2006. The chart further below shows that the main plywood suppliers were Indonesia and Malaysia.

China’s imports of paper pulp reached 1.99 million tones ($1.2 billion) in the period under review, down 6.4% (down 16.1% in value) from last year. Waste paper imports continued to grow dramatically and amounted to 5.96 million tones ($948.26 million), up 22.3% (up 42.1% in value) from the same period in 2006. Paper pulp and waste paper came mainly from the USA, Japan, UK and Canada. Imports of Indonesian eucalyptus wood pulp ranked sixth among the suppliers.

Imports of wooden furniture totaled 354,400 pieces ($33.71 million), up 48% (up 36% in value) from the same period in 2006. Imports of rattan and chips imports were 11,700 tones ($7.94 million) and 175,400 tones ($22.89 million), up 52% (up 83% in value) and 75% (up 16% in value), respectively, from the same period in 2006.

China’s exports of panels and furniture gain ground 
Exports of sawnwood exports amounted to 176,300 m3 ($88.82 million) in the first quarter of 2007, down 12.5% (up 22.7% in value) from the same period in 2006. Sawnwood exports went mainly to Japan, Korea and the USA. Export of plywood rose to 1.9 million m3 ($712.11 million), up 49.3% (up 37.9% in value) from last year. Plywood exports went to 100 countries and regions, mainly to the USA and Japan. Exports of wooden furniture grew to 60.4 million pieces ($2.2 billion), up 36.7% (up 34.6% in value) from the same period in 2006. Furniture exports went mainly to the USA, Hong Kong SAR, UK and Canada.

Exports of fiberboard and particleboard rose to 589,200 tones ($245.73 million) and 25,100 tones ($6.82 million), up sharply 140% (up 124% in value) and 68.5% (up 34.5% in value), respectively. Paper, paperboard and paper products were one of the leading export products. Exports of these products reached 1.35 million tones ($1.4 billion), up 44.3% (up 29% in value) from the same period in 2006.

Abbreviations

LM        Loyale Merchant, a grade of log parcel	Cu.m         Cubic Metre
QS         Qualite Superieure	Koku         0.278 Cu.m or 120BF
CI          Choix Industriel	FFR            French Franc
CE         Choix Economique	SQ              Sawmill Quality
CS         Choix Supplimentaire	SSQ            Select Sawmill Quality
FOB      Free-on-Board	FAS            Sawnwood Grade First and
KD        Kiln Dry	Second
AD        Air Dry	WBP           Water and Boil Proof
Boule    A Log Sawn Through and Through	MR              Moisture Resistant
the boards from one log are bundled	pc         per piece
together	ea                each
BB/CC  Grade B faced and Grade C backed	MBF           1000 Board Feet
Plywood	MDF           Medium Density Fibreboard
BF         Board Foot	F.CFA         CFA Franc
Sq.Ft     Square Foot	Price has moved up or down