China Wood Products Prices

1-15th June 2005

Report from China   

Dollar Exchange Rates of 3th June 2005
China Yuan 8.28

First Quarter Imports up 

China's economy enjoyed continued rapid growth in the first quarter of 2005 and demand for wood products increased markedly. Investment in fixed assets rose 26% and the total industrial output value rose by just over 16% compared to the first quarter 2004. This growth spurred demand for timber.   

The higher demand was satisfied mainly from increased levels of imports. China's Customs authority has just released date on the trade in wood products for the first quarter, which are summarised below. 

Imports 

Year on year log imports rose 6.7% in the first quarter to 6.9 mil cubic metres and the value of these imports rose 19% to US$752.87 million. The average price for imported logs rose 11.5% to US$109.4 per cubic metre. Of the total, softwood log imports rose 5% to 4,099,209 cubic metres and the average price for imported softwood logs was up 12.6% to US$74.20 per cubic metre in the first quarter. Hardwood log imports in the first quarter were up 9.4% and the average price for imported hardwood logs was up 9.3% to just over US$161 per cubic metre.

China's sawnwood imports fell 0.7% to 1,350,250 cubic metres in the first quarter as compared to the same period in 2004, but the value of imports was higher by 8.3% at US$322.9 million. The average price for imported sawnwood rose about 9% to US$239 per cubic metre.  

Of the total sawnwood imports, softwood sawnwood imports rose 15.5% to 42,044 cubic metres at an average price of US$165 up over 6.25% on the 2004 first quarter average price.  

While hardwood sawnwood imports fell by 6.6% to 929,803 cubic metres the average price for imported hardwood sawnwood was up 12% to US$273 per cubic metre. 

Veneer imports in the first quarter 2005 fell 3% to 26,493 cubic metres compared to the same period in 2004 but the value was up 14.3% to US$26.3 million at an average price of US$992 (up almost 18%). 

Significantly, China's plywood imports were higher (+10%, 198,892 cubic metres) in the first quarter compared to the first quarter 2004. The value of first quarter imports grew 28% to US$101.47 million and the average price was up by 16.6% to US$510 per cubic metre.  

Exports 

In the first quarter 2005 China's plywood exports rose a massive 55% to 1,035,350 cubic metres and even more starling, the value of export grew almost 96% to US$340.42 million. The average price for exported plywood rose 26% to US$329 per cubic metre and, in the first quarter, China's plywood exports were 836,458 cubic metres higher than its imports in the same period. 

The production capacity for export quality fibreboard in China has grown rapidly and in the first quarter 2005 exports rose a startling 438% but, at present, export volumes are rather modest (175,178 cubic metres in the first quarter).  

The average price for exported fiberboard in the first quarter rose 6.8% to US$382 per cubic metre compared to the first quarter of 2004. For the first quarter 2005, Fiberboard exports were just 19,595 cubic metres higher than imports.  

Particleboard exports fell in the first quarter (-36%), but China's particleboard exports have never been high. 2005 first quarter exports were a modest 1,741 cubic metres worth just US$590,000 at an average price of US$339 per cubic metre.  

Finally, in the first quarter 2005 the value of China's wooden furniture exports have been reported as being up around 23% to a value of US$919.49 million. For the first quarter 2005 the value of China's wooden furniture exports were US$908 million higher than the value of imports in the same period. 

Furniture Exports up 

China's furniture exports kept up their rapid pace of growth in the first quarter 2005. The US is the main market for China's furniture exports and the pace of growth in exports to that market were hardly affected by the decision by the US government to impose anti-dumping duties on some furniture plants in China. According to the latest numbers, the total value of China's furniture exports (all categories) in the first quarter was US$3.128 billion, a year on year increase of 34.3%. Of this total the value of exports of wooden furniture were US$919.49 million, a year on year increase of 23%. 

Zhu Chang ling, deputy director of China's Furniture Association, is on record as saying that the average import tariff of 6.65% applied to China's furniture exports to the US can be absorbed by Chinese exporters and that the anti-dumping tariff is having only a limited impact on Chinese furniture exporters. 

Zhu commented that the main reasons for the rapid furniture exports in the first quarter of 2005 are that production capacity has expanded, that product quality is improving and that styles and designs are being diversified.  

2004 wood-Based panel output 

According to the latest statistics on the sector, the output of China's wood-based panel industries rose 19.6% to 54.5 million cubic metres in 2004. Of the total output, fiberboard output grew 38.3% to 15.6 million cubic metres (of which MDF output rose 39.8% to 14.7 million cubic metres).  

In contrast plywood output fell 17.7% to 21 million cubic metres, whereas particleboard output grew 17.4% to 6.4 million cubic metres. The output of other wood-based panel industries rose 47.6% to 11.4 million cubic metres, of this blockboard output grew 42.7% to 8.8 million cubic metres. 

Timber Supply Planning in Hebei Province  

Located at the northern most tip of China's North Plain, Hebei Province is poor in forest resources. The province's annual timber output is only about 1.4 million cubic metres however, the province's forest products industry is developing rapidly and is becoming a major industry in the province.

According to the latest data, the wood based panel sector in the province comprises some 2,550 enterprises and the total output of wood-based panels in 2003 reached 10.3 million cubic metres.  

The annual output value was Yuan 9 billion, making Hebei Province one of the top wood-based panel producers in China. Analysts point out that the province has three major wood-based panel production bases (Wen'an, Xingtai and Zhending) and four major wood-based panel markets, the biggest being in Zuogezhuang in Wen'an, which has become the main distribution centre in the province for wood-based panels. In addition to the wood based panel industry, the province has 550 paper-making enterprises with an annual output of 3.355 million tons valued at around Yuan 10.3 billion. 

To feed the timber industries the province needs an estimated 13 million cubic metres of logs annually so some 4 million mu (15 mu = 1 ha.) of fast growing and high yielding plantations had been established by the end of 2003. 

In November 2003 the Hebei Province government issued the 'Hebei Forest and Board (Paper) Integration Plan'. This sets out the aim to further improve the current 4 million mu plantation base and establish a further 16 million mu of fast growing and high yielding plantation so as to balance timber supply and demand from local industries. 

Booming demand in Beijing 

Recently, demand for wood products has been booming in the Beijing timber markets. Prices for timber and wood products are firm and analysts say that, on average, prices are up by about 5%. In the case of logs, prices have been higher for the whole of the year.  

Price for good quality Korean pine logs are around Yuan 1200-1400 per cubic metre and the price for large diameter, freshly logged, high grade Korean pine has gone up to Yuan 1800 per cubic metre. The price for Scots pine is reported as especially firm, even though there has been no shortage of this timber despite the strong demand. 

Hardwoods, such as Ash, Poplar, Elm, Linden, Catalpa and Xylosma are also reportedly selling well. The price for Ash has apparently is above Yuan 2500 per cubic metre.  

Russian timbers dominate the sawnwood market in Beijing, especially Scots pine and Xylosma. The average price for Xylosma sawnwood is reportedly above Yuan 4000 per cubic metre.

Analysts in Beijing note that timber imports from South East Asia and Africa fell markedly in the first quarter of this year but prices are still higher. However, prices for European Beech and timbers from North America and Australia are relatively stable.  

Local analysts cite the following reasons for the firm prices in Beijing markets:  

·         The rapid economic development in Beijing, especially the red-hot real estate sector.

·         The seasonal boom in house renovation and interior improvements

·         Some shortages in supply of timber resources due reduced harvests in tropical timber producer countries, reduced exports by Indonesia as more timber is directed to tsunami relief areas and tighter log export controls in African countries.

·         The increased cost of ocean freight, as oil prices continue upwards, is pushing landed prices higher.  

Sino-Russia cooperation in timber development  

Heilongjiang Province and the Russian Jewish State have reportedly reached an agreement that will pave the way for cooperation in the development of the natural resources in the border areas. 

According to the Heilongjiang Administration and the Russian State Government, the two sides will continue to cooperate in forest logging, down-stream timber processing and oil and gas exploration. 

Apparently, the Russian State will open opportunities for Chinese interests to contribute to the development of Russian forest resources through allowing Chinese businesses to bid for rights to harvest timber.. The Russian Jewish State is rich in forest resources and in coal, oil and gas as well as being rich in non-ferrous metals.  

Guangzhou City Imported Timber Market 

Shanghai Furen Wholesale Market

Hebei Shijiangzhuang Wholesale Market  

Shandong De Zhou Timber market  

Tian Jin City Huan Bo Hai timber Market

Abbreviations

LM        Loyale Merchant, a grade of log parcel	Cu.m         Cubic Metre
QS         Qualite Superieure	Koku         0.278 Cu.m or 120BF
CI          Choix Industriel	FFR            French Franc
CE         Choix Economique	SQ              Sawmill Quality
CS         Choix Supplimentaire	SSQ            Select Sawmill Quality
FOB      Free-on-Board	FAS            Sawnwood Grade First and
KD        Kiln Dry	Second
AD        Air Dry	WBP           Water and Boil Proof
Boule    A Log Sawn Through and Through	MR              Moisture Resistant
the boards from one log are bundled	pc         per piece
together	ea                each
BB/CC  Grade B faced and Grade C backed	MBF           1000 Board Feet
Plywood	MDF           Medium Density Fibreboard
BF         Board Foot	F.CFA         CFA Franc
Sq.Ft     Square Foot	Price has moved up or down