BEIJING: China’s log imports totalled 23.91 million cubic metres valued at $3.97 billion in the first half of 2016, up 3% in volume and down 10% in value over the same period of 2015, ITTO reported. The average landed price for imported logs was $166 per cubic metre, a year on year fall of 13%. Of the total, softwood log imports amounted to 16.12 million cubic metres, or 67% of all log imports, a year-on-year increase of 4%.
Softwood log imports were mainly from the top 10 countries, namely New Zealand (5.61 million cu.m, down 3%), Russia (4.78 million cu.m, up 6%), the US (1.81 million cu.m, up 12%), Australia (1.56 million cu.m, up 37%), Canada (1.19 million cu.m, down 4%), Ukraine (0.52 million cu.m, up 3%), Japan (0.24 million cu.m, up 35%), France (0.08 million cu.m, up 25%), Belarus(0.08 million cu.m, up 25%), DPRK (0.08 million cu.m, up 25%).
Softwood log imports of these above-mentioned countries make up 99% of all softwood log imports. Softwood log imports from the top 5 countries account for 97% of all log imports. The average price for softwood log imports was about $120 per cubic metre in the first half of 2016, a year on year decline of 7%.
