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New Zealand: Brighter Last Half In Japan for NZ Pine
¡¾2002.08.19¡¿


Brighter Last Half In Japan for NZ Pine

New Zealand wood exporters to Japan can expect sustained good news for the last two quarters of 2002, according to Forestry Agency forecasts of major timber demand. Despite a sluggish home construction market and shrinking total timber demand in Japan, the agency says Russian, New Zealand and Chilean softwood suppliers, and EU laminated lumber exporters, can expect increased sales at the expense of Southseas (tropical) suppliers. The Japan Lumber Journal says demand for New Zealand and Chilean pine logs should increase 3.7% in the third quarter and by 11% in the fourth
¨C driven by an increasingly softwood-oriented plywood industry. Radiata pine lumber is also expected to be in strong demand for the rest of the year.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, total log imports in 2001 were down 10% to 32.6 million cubic metres, and nearly 300% lower than the 1973 peak of 94.7 million cubic metres. New Zealand log imports in 2001 were 1.73 million cubic metres
¨C only 5.3% of the total and down 7.7% on the previous year


Source:Nzforesty.com.nz

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