China‘s log imports totalled 45.16 million cu.m valued at US$9.317 billion in 2013, up 19 percent and 28 percent respectively over 2013. The average landed price for imported logs was US$206 per cubic metre.
Of the total, coniferous log imports amounted to 32.93 million cu.m, or 73 percent of all log imports, a year on year increase of 23%. Last year New Zealand replaced Russia as the main log supplier to China.
Hardwood log imports totalled 12.23 million cu.m, a year on year increase of 9% in volume. Tropical log imports rose 7 percent to about 9.33 million cubic metres, accounting for 21 percent of all hardwood log imports. The value of tropical log imports grew 22 percent to US$3.571 billion.
China‘s imports from Russia fell 8 percent but imports from Ukraine, Myanmar, US, Australia, France and New Zealand increased sharply as can be seen in the table below.
Top 10 log suppliers to China
Import volume (million cu.m) | % of total imports | Average price (US$/cu.m) | |
Total China | 45.16 | 100 | 206 |
New Zealand | 11.5 | 25 | 147 |
Russia | 10.26 | 23 | 137 |
US | 5.61 | 12 | 222 |
PNG | 2.75 | 6.09 | 227 |
Canada | 2.72 | 6.02 | 197 |
Solomon Is. | 2.04 | 4.51 | 198 |
Australia | 1.74 | 3.86 | 127 |
Ukraine | 1.39 | 3.08 | 131 |
Myanmar | 0.97 | 2.15 | 552 |
France | 0.68 | 1.5 | 190 |
Top ten | 39.66 | 87.21 |