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Japan Wood Products Prices

16-30th April 2009

Japan Wood Products Prices

Dollar Exchange Rates of  7th May 2009

Japan Yen 99.04

Reports From Japan

Japan’s housing and plywood markets show
continued decline in early 2009
February 2009’s plywood imports and housing starts
dipped below February 2008 levels, reported the Japan
Lumber Journal (JLJ). A year-on-year comparison of
housing starts revealed a drop of 25% (Figure 1).

Due to declining housing starts, there was a continued
slump in imports of lauan plywood in Japan. Factories
were cutting production and there was little initiative to
purchase new logs. Meranti logs from Sarawak to Japan
fell in price, arising from the lower number of offers.

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  Plywood grades. Letter(s) on the left indicate face veneer(s), those on the right backing veneer(s). Veneer grade decreases in order B, BB, C, CC, etc.	MBF           1000 Board Feet
Plywood	MDF           Medium Density Fibreboard
BF         Board Foot	F.CFA         CFA Franc
Sq.Ft     Square Foot	PHND             Pin hole no defect grade
Hoppus ton     1.8 cubic metres	Price has moved up or down

Source: ITTO'  Tropical Timber Market Report