world news - 22.05.2003
According to the latest statistics, China's imports of timber continued to climb in the first quarter of 2003.
The
volume of imported hardwood logs increased around 30% while the volume of
imported coniferous logs tended to remain at about the same rate as the first
quarter 2002. The growth of imports of coniferous sawnwood grew 19% higher than
the 12% growth seen for sawn hardwoods.
Average prices for hardwood logs
were much higher than a year ago and increased from US$129 per Cu.m to US$141.06
per Cu.m. Prices for coniferous logs changed little increasing from US$61.11 per
Cu.m to US$62.34 per Cu.m.
Prices for coniferous sawnwood were much
higher and increased from US$131.55 per Cu.m in 2002 to US$142.69 per Cu.m. In
contrast, the price of sawn hardwood fell from US$246.09 per Cu.m in 2002 to
US$231.91 per Cu.m. Prices of both plywood and veneer increased. Plywood prices
went from US$331.43 to US$336.3 per Cu.m and prices for veneer went from
US$458.4 to US$443.34 per Cu.m.
In terms of import sources, coniferous
logs were mainly supplied by Russia (3.235 million Cu.m, 89.4%) and New Zealand
(319,000 Cu.m, 8.8%).
Hardwood logs were mainly tropical and were from
Malaysia (620,300 Cu.m , 23.2%), Papua New Guinea (371,500 Cu.m,13.9%) and Gabon
( 251,700 Cu.m , 9.4%). Sawnwood was mainly from Indonesia (260,100 Cu.m, 20.9%
), Thailand (154,200 Cu.m, 12.4%), America (147,200 Cu.m, 11.8%), Russia
(129,400 Cu.m, 10.4%) and Malaysia (104,100 Cu.m, 8.4%).
In terms of China's
exports, both plywood and wooden furniture exports continued to soar during the
first quarter of 2003. Exports of plywood reached 409,000 cubic metres, a year
on year increase of 61%.
See also:
- — Bosnian wood and timber indastry on brink of collapse. Trade associations of timber and wood industry's companies within the chambers of commerce of Bosnia-Herzegovina's two entities insist on the immediate discontinuation or the drastic restriction in the export of logs and sawn timber.
- — Moldovan Exhibition Centre To Host Two Intl Fairs May 21-25, 2003
- — Producers' stocks of market pulp in Finland, Sweden, Canada and the United States rose in April by a more-than-expected 127,000 tonnes versus March to 1.59 million tonnes, Finland's forest industry said on Tuesday.
- — Nordic papermakers should face low yet stable European demand in coming months, but earnings could be hit by a stronger euro if the sector upturn they hope for does not emerge in the second half, analysts said.
- — UK wood production 2002