Data from the General Administration of Customs indicates that China's imported logs and sawn timber market experienced a significant contraction in 2025, with annual imports hitting a decade-low. Both import volume and value declined simultaneously, signaling a phase of adjustment in the industry's import landscape.

In 2025, China imported 65.551 million cubic meters of timber (calculated by raw timber volume), representing an 11.5% year-on-year decrease. The import value reached US$11.22 billion, down 13.9% year-on-year. Of this total, China imported 31.384 million cubic meters of logs, a year-on-year decrease of 13.1%, with an import value of US$4.82 billion, down 21.8% year-on-year. Imports of sawn timber reached 24.061 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 10.0%, with an import value of US$6.40 billion, down 6.7% year-on-year.

1. China's Coniferous Log Imports in 2025
China's coniferous log imports in 2025 reached 23.918 million cubic meters, representing an 8.4% year-on-year decrease. Primary species included Radiata Pine, White Pine, Douglas Fir, Red Pine, and Korean Pine. Among these, Radiata Pine log imports amounted to 17.671 million cubic meters, marking a 1.4% year-on-year increase and accounting for 73.9% of total coniferous log imports. Imports of fir and spruce have declined annually over the past five years, reaching only 1.785 million cubic meters in 2025—a 44.1% year-on-year decrease.

In 2025, China's primary suppliers of coniferous logs included New Zealand, Japan, and Canada. Imports from New Zealand accounted for 75.7% of total coniferous log imports. Imports from the United States decreased by 89.3% year-on-year, while imports from Germany and Poland both declined by 62% year-on-year.

2. 2025 China's Coniferous Sawn Timber Imports
In 2025, China's imports of coniferous sawn timber reached 14.584 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 12.3%. The primary species included fir and spruce, hemlock-fir, spruce-pine-fir, as well as red pine and Korean pine. Total imports of fir and spruce, hemlock-fir, and spruce-pine-fir decreased by 9.1% year-on-year, while imports of red pine and Korean pine decreased by 12.8%.

In 2025, China's primary sources for coniferous sawn timber imports included Russia, Canada, Belarus, and Finland. Imports from Russia accounted for 69.6% of the total coniferous sawn timber imports.

3. China's Broadleaf Log Imports in 2025
In 2025, China's imports of broadleaf logs reached 7.466 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 25.2%. Major species included birch, oak, eucalyptus, beech, and poplar. Birch logs primarily originate from Russia and Latvia; oak logs mainly come from France, Germany, the United States, and Slovakia; eucalyptus logs are predominantly sourced from Brazil, Solomon Islands, and New Zealand.

In 2025, the primary import sources for China's hardwood logs were Papua New Guinea, Russia, and Solomon Islands, accounting for 21.4%, 16.5%, and 14.6% of total hardwood log imports respectively. Imports of hardwood logs from the United States decreased by 71.7% year-on-year.

4. China's Broadleaf Sawnwood Imports in 2025
In 2025, China's imports of broadleaf sawnwood reached 9.477 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 6.2%. Among the imported broadleaf sawnwood, rubberwood accounted for a significant proportion, with estimated imports of approximately 4 million cubic meters. Other major species include oak, beech, ash, and North American hardwoods. Specifically: - Oak lumber primarily originates from the United States and Russia; - Beech lumber mainly comes from Romania, Germany, and Serbia; - Ash lumber is predominantly sourced from Vietnam, Russia, and the United States.

In 2025, China's primary import sources for hardwood lumber were Thailand, Russia, the United States, the Philippines, Gabon, and Vietnam. Imports from Thailand accounted for 44.5% of total hardwood lumber imports. Imports from Papua New Guinea and Vietnam increased by 221.2% and 139.8% year-on-year, respectively.