China Imported Logs and Lumber for a Record Nine Billion Dollars in 2013; Russia and Canada ere

the !a"or #uppliers Importation of logs and lumber to China reached a new record in 2013 with lumber imports being up 19% and log imports increasing 23% from 2012, as reported in the Wood Resource uarterl!" #orth $merica, Russia and #ew %ealand were the ma&or suppl!ing countries but 'weden, (inland, )*raine, Chile and $ustralia saw the biggest increases in mar*et share" #eattle$ %&$ '#&$ &pril 23$ 201( )) Chinas importation of softwood lumber was 19 percent higher in 2013 than in 2012 reaching a new record high. The unprecedented increase in lumber shipments to the Chinese market that began in 2008 is continuing. n 2008! the countr" imported 3.# million m3 of softwood lumber $alued at %00 million dollars! according to the &ood 'esource (uarterl" )&'(*. Two "ears later! in 2010! the $olume had increased to 9.+ million m3 and in 2013! China imported close to 1% million m3 of lumber! $alued at a bit o$er 3.# billion dollars. Canada and 'ussia are the two ma,or suppliers of lumber to China! with Canada ha$ing o$ertaken 'ussia as the largest supplier in 2010. Together! these two countries supplied almost 80 percent of all imports. -owe$er! this "ear .urope! 'ussia! Chile and /ew 0ealand ha$e all increased their shipments to China at a higher pace than has Canada. 1weden! for e2ample! more than tripled its e2port $olume from 2012 to 2013 to reach 3%0!000 m3! or ,ust o$er two percent of the import $olume last "ear. This trend! where countries that ,ust a few "ears ago were $irtuall" non3e2istent in the Chinese market are now e2panding is likel" to continue in the coming "ears both because Chinas continued hunger for more wood and because Canada is not likel" to e2pand e2ports much more than the le$els seen o$er the past few "ears. mportation of softwood logs to China reall" took off during the second half of 2013. n the 1-413! import $olumes were about 1+.8 million m3! and in the 2-413! China imported 18.1 million m3! an increase of 23 percent in ,ust si2 months! making 2013 a record "ear for Chinese log imports. The total $alue of imported logs reached ,ust o$er fi$e billion dollars. 5uring the past "ear! all ma,or log suppliers to China increased their shipments e2cept 'ussia! which in 2013 shipped the lowest $olume since 200+. /ew 0ealand shipments were up b" 326 "ear3o$er3"ear! the 71 increased $olumes b" 886 and interestingl"! 7kraine! which ,ust a few "ears ago did not e2port an" logs to China! shipped 1.+ million m3 in 2013! a tripling from the pre$ious "ear! as reported in the &'( )www.woodprices.com*. &ith record shipments of logs and lumber from /orth 9merica to China during 2013! it will be $er" interesting to see if Chinese wood bu"ers can continue to increase their imports from the 71 and Canada in 201+ and 2018 when demand for lumber is likel" to go up in the 71 market. :lobal pulpwood and timber market reporting is included in the 823page ;uarterl" publication &ood 'esource (uarterl" )&'(*. The report! established in 1988 and with subscribers in o$er 30 countries! tracks sawlog! pulpwood! lumber and pellet prices! trade and market de$elopments in most ke" regions around the world. To subscribe to the &'(! please go to www.woodprices.com Contact* -akan .kstrom %ood Resources International LLC <= >o2 1891 >othell! &9 980+1! 719 ?1+28+028809

info@wri3ltd.com httpA44www.woodprices.com