In February 2026, China’s timber imports plummeted by 28.7%, with divergent trends observed between logs and sawn timber: log imports rose by 6.5%, while sawn timber imports fell by 5.8%. Imports from Belarus surged by 40%, while major suppliers such as New Zealand and Russia saw declines exceeding 30%. Meanwhile, exports of wood products grew strongly by 69.9%, with plywood exports surging by 91.5%, creating a stark contrast.

Customs data shows that in February 2026, China’s timber imports totaled 3.215 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decline of 28.7%; compared with January, the decline reached 25%. During the same period, the value of imports was $690 million, down 25.3% year-on-year. Post-holiday demand recovery has been sluggish, and performance has been significantly weaker than during the same period in 2025.

Diverging Trends in Logs and Lumber
Looking at specific market segments, in February 2026, China’s log imports reached 1.795 million cubic meters, a year-on-year increase of 6.5%. The value of imports rose by 3.6% year-on-year to $290 million. The average unit price of imported logs in February fell by 2.8% year-on-year.

Regarding sawn timber imports, in February 2026, China imported 1.42 million cubic meters, a 5.8% year-over-year decrease. The import value rose slightly by 0.3% year-over-year to $400 million. The average import price for sawn timber in February continued the upward trend seen in January, rising 6.5% year-over-year.

Changes in the Supply Country Landscape
In February, the vast majority of the top ten countries supplying timber to China saw declines in both volume and value, with only Canada, Belarus, and the Philippines posting positive growth.

New Zealand, Russia, and Thailand remained in the top three, but their import volumes fell by 30.4%, 30.7%, and 31.7% respectively—significant declines. Notably, New Zealand’s import volume dropped from 1.307 million cubic meters to 910,000 cubic meters, with the value falling by 35% in tandem, indicating that its exports to China are facing temporary pressures.

Belarus emerged as the standout performer, with February imports reaching 108,000 cubic meters, a 40% year-on-year increase; the import value also rose by 38.5%.

Countries such as the Solomon Islands, the United States, and Papua New Guinea saw their import volumes decline by more than 40% year-on-year. Notably, Papua New Guinea’s log exports to China plummeted by 70%, constituting the primary factor dragging down overall performance.

By Wood Species
In February, imports of coniferous wood fell 29% year-on-year to 2.09 million cubic meters, while the average import price remained largely unchanged, rising slightly by 0.3%. Specifically, imports of coniferous logs and sawn timber totaled 1.29 million cubic meters and 0.80 million cubic meters, respectively, representing year-on-year declines of 28.7% and 29.3%.

Performance varied across other timber species: imports of eucalyptus logs fell slightly by 4.9%; imports of okoume logs plummeted by 77.5% year-on-year; imports of North American hardwood logs declined by 60.9%; and Thailand’s exports of rubberwood to China dropped by 31.9%, while the average import price rose by 9.5% year-on-year.

Timber and Wood Products Off to a Steady Start
Overall, from January to February 2026, China’s total timber imports amounted to 7.503 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decrease of 11.2%; the import value stood at $1.588 billion, down 9.5% year-on-year. This was primarily due to a sharp year-on-year drop of 28.7% in February’s import volume, which weighed heavily on the overall performance. This is also due in part to the Spring Festival holiday.

Notably, in contrast to the sluggish performance of timber imports, China’s exports of timber and timber products got off to a strong start and saw explosive growth in February—with exports surging 69.9% year-on-year that month; cumulative exports for January–February rose 34.4% year-on-year.

By product category, exports of plywood and similar multilayer boards surged by 91.5% year-on-year; cumulative exports for January-February rose by 45.9% year-on-year. Exports of wood products for household and decorative use also strengthened, with February exports up 62.7% year-on-year; cumulative exports for January-February increased by 9.9% year-on-year.