According to China Customs data on sawn wood imports in 2021, sawn wood imports totaled 28.84 million m³, valued at US$7 billion, with production down 16% year-on-year but up 3.86% from 2020.
Of the total sawn wood imports, sawn softwood imports fell by 23% to 19.6 million m³, accounting for 68% of the national total. In 2021, sawn hardwood imports increased by 4% to 9.24 million m³.
The average price of sawn timber rises
The average price of imported sawnwood in 2021 is $272 per cubic meter, a 20% increase year on year.
The average price of imported sawn softwood was US$221 per cubic meter, an increase of 25% year-on-year.
The average price of imported sawn hardwood was US$381 per cubic meter, up 5% year-on-year.
The average price of imported tropical sawn hardwood was US$314 per cubic meter, an increase of 2% year-on-year.
my country's imports of Philippine timber surge by 98%
Among the total imports of sawn hardwood, tropical sawn hardwood imported 6 million m³, valued at US$1.88 billion, an increase of 2% in value year-on-year, but a decrease of 3% in volume, accounting for 21% of total imports, an increase of 2% over 2020.
The main source of China's imported hardwood sawnwood has also changed. Among them, the Philippines has become the country with the fastest increase in timber imports to China with a growth rate of 640,000 m³ and 98%.
In 2021, my country's sawn wood imports from Canada, the United States, Finland, and Germany will drop by 45%, 33%, 32%, and 41% respectively, which is the main reason for the decline in my country's total sawn wood imports in 2021.
Separately, according to customs data, sawn hardwood from the U.S. fell 13 percent. The market share of Chinese sawn softwood imports from Canada has also steadily declined since 2014, accounting for only 8% of total imports in 2021. In 2021, timber imports from Russia fell by 13%. However, sawn softwood imported from Russia still accounts for 66% of the national total and has maintained this position for seven consecutive years.
Meanwhile, Thailand, Russia, and the United States remain the main sources of China’s sawn hardwood imports in 2021, accounting for 41%, 12.3%, and 12.2%, respectively, 2021. China’s imports of sawn hardwood from Thailand and Russia increased by 6% and 28%, respectively. Thailand is still the main source of tropical sawn hardwood in China. In 2021, imports of tropical sawn hardwood from Thailand totaled 3.773 million m³, valued at US$1.017 billion, year-on-year. Growth 6% in 2021 and 7% in 2021.
