Wood Products trade 2009

According to the latest statistics from China’s Customs, in the first three quarters of 2009 the total trade value of China’s major wood products amounted to just over US$45 billion, down 6 percent from the same period of last year. Of this, imports were US$20.6 billion, down 3 percent from the same period of last year; exports were US$ 24.4 billion, down 9 percent. Logs China imported a total of 21million cu.m of logs in the first three quarters of 2009 worth US$2.9 billion, down 10
percent in volume and 28 percent in value from the same period of 2008. Of the total, softwood log imports were 15.3 million cu.m, valued at US$1.7 billion, up 7 percent in volume and down 9 percent in value. Hardwood log imports amounted to 5.6 million cu.m valued at US$1.3 billion, down 37 percent in volume and down 13 percent in value. Tropical log imports were 4.3 million cu.m, down 23 percent from the same period in 2008. Log imports from Russia continue to dominate the trade
and imports were 11.4 million cu.m valued at US$1.3 billion, down 23 percent in volume and 33 percent in value from the same period of 2008. The proportion of Russian logs in China’s total logs imports fell to 55 percent. The other main suppliers of logs to China were New Zealand (3.3 million cu.m, 15.7 percent), Papua New Guinea (1.1 million cu.m, 5 percent), Solomon Island (883,600 cu.m, 4
percent), Gabon (829,500 cu.m, 4 percent) and the USA (510,300 cu.m, 2 percent).

Sawnwood
In the first three quarters of 2009, China’s sawnwood imports (including sleepers) were 7.0 million cu.m, worth US$1.62 billion, up 34% in volume and 8%in value from the same period of 2008.

Sawnwood sources were mainly Russia (2.27 million cu.m, 32 percent), Canada (1.7 million cu.m, 24 percent), Thailand (708,700 cu.m, 10 percent), the USA (640,100 cu.m, 9 percent), New Zealand (307,200 cu.m, 4 percent), the Philippines (189,400 cu.m, 3 percent), Indonesia (157,400 cu.m, 2 percent) and Malaysia (147,300 cu.m, 2 percent).