US Dollar Exchange Rates of 15th July 2008
China Yuan 6.8211
Report from China
Forestry outputs leap 17.6% in value in 2007
According to the latest news issued by the State Forestry
Administration (SFA), China¡¯s outputs of forestry and
major forest products rose significantly in 2007. The total
forestry output value of the nation reached RMB1.25
trillion yuan, up RMB188.12 billion yuan or 17.66% over
the last year.
Timber outputs
Since the implementation of the Natural Forest Protection
Program (NFPP) in 1998, China¡¯s output of timber had
decreased each year until 2002, when it began to increase
gradually. The output of timber reached a peak of 69.76
million m³ in 2007. Of the total timber output, output of
logs was 64.92 million m³, up 6.22% over the previous
year; output of fuelwood was about 4.85 million m³, down
3.1% from the previous year. In addition, about 8.58
million m³ of roundwood and 22.08 million m³ of
fuelwood were removed respectively by farmers for their
own use.¡¡
Sawnwood outputs
The output of sawnwood was 28.29 million m³ in 2007, up
13.78% over the previous year, of which 1.45 million m³
or 5.12% was tropical sawnwood.
Wood-based panel outputs
A total of 88.38 million m³ of wood-based panels was
produced in 2007, up 18.98% over the previous year. Of
the total output, 2.42 million m³ or 2.74% was made with
tropical timber; plywood outputs reached 35.61 million
m³, accounting for 40.3%; fiberboard outputs were about
27.30 million m³ (of which, approximately 24.99 million
m³ was MDF), amounting to 30.89%; particleboard
outputs were 8.29 million m³, making up 9.38%; outputs
of other wood-based panels were 17.1809 million m³ (of
which 77.07% was block board), accounting for 19.44% of
the total (Figure 1). In addition, the output of veneer was
12.65 million m³.
The production of wood-based panels were concentrated
mainly in six provinces located in coastal areas in the east
comprising Jiangsu, Shandong, Hebei, Guangxi, Fujian
and Zhejiang. The combined output in these provinces
reached 57.31 million m³ in 2007, accounting for 64.85%
of nation¡¯s total (Figure 2).
Wood flooring outputs
A total of 343.43 million m² of wooden flooring was
produced in China in 2007, up 46.77% over the last year.
Of the total amount, solidwood flooring comprised 77.84
million m² (22.67%); solid composite flooring was 113.48
million m² (33.04%), laminated flooring was 94.86 million
m² (27.62%); and bamboo/wood composite flooring was
20.48 million m² (5.96%). Zhejiang Province was the most
important wooden flooring producing province, with
outputs reaching 63.32 million m² in 2007 and
representing 18.4% of the country¡¯s total.
Prices of main forest products
In 2007, the prices of some forest products rose while
others dropped. Average price of logs was RMB638 yuan
per m³, up 5.28% over the previous year. The average
price of bamboo was RMB 11/piece, up RMB2 yuan over
the previous year and wood chips were RMB700 yuan per
solid m³, up 15.45%. Other products, such as sawnwood,
dropped 1% to RMB1,004 yuan per m³. The average price
of wooden flooring also fell to RMB128 yuan per m²,
down 6%, plywood fell to RMB1,909 yuan per m³, down
2% and MDF fell 5%. Hardboard and particleboard rose
by 13% and 22% respectively.
Russian log imports through Manzhouli Port continue
to fall
According to statistics from Manzhouli Customs in Inner
Mongolia, 901,000 m³ of timber was imported through the
Port in April 2008. The timber was valued at USD120
million and the average price was USD134.8 per m³, rising
35.4% from 2007.
The amount of imported logs from Russia in April 2008
was 793,000 m³, down 29.5% from same period of 2007,
and the amount of Russian lumber was 108,000 m³, up
20.5%. Due to the sharp rise of export tariffs on Russian
timber, imports of timber from Russia fell 31.8% to about
3.8 million m³ during the period from January to May
2008. Of the imported logs from Russia through
Manzhouli Port, Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) and
Mongolian scotch pine (Pinu sylvestris var. mongolica)
accounted for 80%, while larch accounted for 20%.
Russian tariffs on exported logs jumped from 6.5% to 20%
and to not less than EUR10 per m³ in July 2007. On 1
April 2008, Russia increased the tariff again to 25% and to
not less than EUR15 per m³. The tariff will increase to
80% in January 2009 and to not less than EUR50 per m³.
Being the largest timber export country to China, Russia¡¯s
rising tariffs have and will continue to have strong impact
on China¡¯s wood processing industry.
China to set up more forestry enterprises in Russia
According to a memorandum jointly signed by Xi Bei
Forestry Corporation Ltd. in Shandong Province of China
and the governor of Tomsk State of Russia, an integrated
forestry enterprise will be established in Tomsk State.
Situated in the Siberian Plain of central Russia, the Tomsk
State covers an area of 314,400 km², of which, 60% is
covered by forest, with a growing stock as high as 2.6
billion m³.
According to the memorandum, several mills will be set
up in two regions of Tomsk State to produce sawnwood,
construction materials, furniture and pulp and paper. The
planned harvesting and processing capacity of the
proposed enterprise is 4.5 million m³ of timber per year.
The Xi Bei Forestry Corporation Ltd. will invest over
USD1.6 billion in the enterprise.
¡¡
|
