China wood trade soars

Chinese timber imports and wood product exports continued to climb sharply in the first quarter of 2010, according to latest figures from the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO).

China’s log imports in the period increased 37% by volume to 7.7 million m³ and jumped 60% in value to US$1.3bn.

The biggest increase came in imports from New Zealand and Malaysia, rising 144% to 1.3 million m³ and 264,200m³ respectively. Shipments from Russia rose 5% to 3.5 million m³, while the total of tropical logs increased 48% to 2 million m³.

In the same period sawnwood imports increased 83% to 3 million m³.

Meanwhile the global recession did little to dent China’s overseas sales of manufactured goods, with timber furniture exports rising 36% in the quarter to US$3.1bn and plywood shipments increasing 40% to US$649m.

Burgeoning domestic demand also led to a 45% increase to US$23m in imports of secondary processed wood products, including doors, windows and flatpack furniture. And doors imports in particular are expcted to continue to rise with Chinese producers only able to supply a third of the country’s annual consumption of between 60-70 million doorsets.