According to the Director General of the State Statistical Bureau, Mr. Xie Youzhan, China’s GDP reached RMB24.66 billion yuan (roughly USD3.52 billion) in 2007, up 11.4% from last year. In 2007, the total import and export trade value rose 23.5% to USD2.17 trillion over the last year, the trade balance was USD262.2 billion, up 47.7%
over the last year. Given these strong economic results,
China’s forest products trade extended considerably in
2007.
1.1 Imports
1.1.1 Logs
Log imports totaled 37.1 million m³ valued at USD5.35 million in 2007, up 15.4 % and 36.2 % respectively over the last year.
Russia remained the most important supplier in 2007.
China imported 25.40 million m³ of logs from Russia
valued at USD2.706 million, up 16.4% in volume and
37.6% in value over the last year. Major suppliers of logs
(over 1 million m³) to China were as follows:
| China imports of logs by main country of origin, 2007 |
| Country |
Import volume (000 m3) |
Proportion of total China imports (%) |
Increase over 2006 (%) |
| Russia |
25 396 |
68.5 |
16.4 |
| PNG |
2 341 |
6.3 |
14.4 |
| Malaysia |
1 331 |
3.6 |
-5.7 |
| New Zealand |
1 270 |
3.4 |
40.3 |
| Gabon |
1 150 |
3.1 |
20 |
| Solomon Islands |
1 049 |
2.8 |
35.4 |
Tropical log imports in 2007 were 8.40 million m³, up 8.5% over the last year, but the proportion to the total log
imports was 22.6% by volume, compared with 24.1% in 2006.
1.1.2 Sawnwood
Sawnwood imports totaled 6.55 million m³, valued at USD1.77 million in 2007, up 6.5% in volume and 4.4% in
value over the last year. Imported sawnwood came from a
number of countries. Russia and the US were two of the
traditional major suppliers. China imported 1.58 million
m3 of sawnwood from Russia and 1.07 million m³ from
the US in 2007, accounting for 24.2 % and 16.4 % of the
total sawnwood imports respectively. Table 5 shows the
major sawnwood suppliers to China.
| China imports of sawnwood by main country of origin, 2007 |
| Country |
Import volume (000 m3) |
Proportion (%) |
Increase over 2006(%) |
| Russia |
1 585 |
24.2 |
35 |
| USA |
1 073 |
16.4 |
5 |
| Canada |
675 |
10.3 |
69.6 |
| Malaysia |
310 |
4.7 |
-17.6 |
| Brazil |
279 |
4.3 |
-18.2 |
| Myanmar |
260 |
4 |
46.1 |
| Indonesia |
258 |
3.9 |
-42.7 |
| New Zealand |
252 |
3.8 |
-10.3 |
1.1.3 Wood-based panels
Plywood imports were 306,000 m3 and valued at USD170
million in 2007, down 26% in volume and 13.6% in value
from last year. Imported plywood mainly came from
Indonesia and Malaysia. China imported 140,000 m3 of
plywood from Indonesia, valued at USD 81.40 million,
down 37.8% in volume and 28% in value from last year.
Plywood imports from Malaysia totaled 100,000 m3,
valued at USD 46.93 million, down 13.8% in volume and
up 14% in value from last year. Of the total volume of
imported plywood, Indonesian plywood accounted 45.8%,
while Malaysian plywood amounted to 32.7%.
Regarding other wood-based panels, fiberboard imports
totaled 900,000 m3, valued at USD 169 million in 2007,
down 5.5% in volume and 13.7% in value from last year.
Particle board imports amounted to 525,000 m3, valued at
USD 106 million in 2007, down 3% in volume and 4.5%
in value from 2006 levels. Finally, veneer imports were
98,000 tons and valued at USD135 million in 2007, down
2.9% in volume and up 14.7% in value from last year.
1.1.4 Pulp and waste paper
In terms of value, pulp is the largest imported forest
products. Pulp imports totaled 847 million tons, valued at
USD 5.55 million in 2007, up 6.5% in volume and 26.3%
in value from last year.
China is the largest importer of waste paper in the world.
Waste paper imports totaled 22.56 million tons in 2007,
accounting for 45% of the world total imports, valued at
USD 4.042 million, up 15% in volume and 47.1% in value
from 2006.
1.1.5 Paper, paperboard and waste paper
Paper and board imports totaled 3.99 million tons, valued
at USD 3.52 million in 2007, down 9.5% in volume and
up 2.9% in value from last year; paper product imports
totaled 214.7 thousand tons, and valued at USD764
million in 2007, down 7.3% in volume and up 6.1% in
value the previous year.
1.1.6 Wooden furniture
China imported a total of 2.48 million pieces of wooden
furniture in 2007, valued at USD220 million, up 92.3 %
and 87.4 % respectively over the last year.
1.2. Exports
1.2.1 Sawnwood
Sawnwood exports were 747,500 m3, valued at USD389
million in 2007, down 7.5 % and up 10.2 % respectively
from last year. In addition, 16,000 m3 of sleepers were
exported, valued at USD2.74 million in 2007. Sawnwood
was mainly exported to Japan, Korea and the US.
| China exports of sawnwood by main country/region of destination, 2007 |
| Country /region |
Volume (000 m3) |
Proportion (%) |
Value (USD 000) |
Proportion (%) |
| Japan |
402.6 |
53.9 |
223 396 |
57.3 |
| Korea |
86.3 |
11.5 |
32 953 |
8.5 |
| US |
65.1 |
8.7 |
29 751 |
7.6 |
| Taiwan (PRC) |
32.2 |
4.3 |
11 567 |
3 |
| Vietnam |
30.9 |
4.1 |
11 238 |
2.9 |
China’s sawnwood was exported mainly through such
ports as Dalian (283,000 m3), Qingdao (169,000 m3) and
Nanjing (142,000 m3), which accounted for 79.3% of the
total exports.
1.2.2 Plywood
Plywood exports totaled 8.78 million m3, valued at
USD3.58 million in 2007, up 5.8% in volume and 23% in value from last year. Plywood was mainly exported to the
USA, Japan and UK, etc.
| China exports of plywood by main country/region of destination, 2007 |
| Country/region |
Volume (000 m3) |
Proportion (%) |
Value (USD 000) |
Proportion (%) |
| US |
1 997 |
22.7 |
974 062 |
27.2 |
| Japan |
701 |
8 |
247 317 |
6.9 |
| UK |
486 |
5.5 |
181 449 |
5.1 |
| UAE |
387 |
4.4 |
127 696 |
3.6 |
| Taiwan (PRC) |
387 |
4.4 |
101 285 |
2.8 |
| Germany |
277 |
3.2 |
118 878 |
3.3 |
| Hong Kong, SAR |
258 |
2.9 |
64 603 |
1.8 |
| Egypt |
230 |
2.6 |
73 538 |
2.1 |
Plywood was exported mainly through Nanjing, Qingdao
and Shanghai ports, other ports like Guangdong, Tianjin
and Dalian were also the important ports to export
plywood.
1.2.3 Fiberboard
Fiberboard exports totaled 2.29 million tons, valued at
USD1.08 million in 2007, up 56.3 % and 70.7 %
respectively from last year. Fiberboard was mainly
exported to Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia.
North America, Korea and Russia were also the important
destination areas.
| China exports of fiberboard by main country of destination, 2007 |
| Country |
Volume (000 m3) |
Proportion (%) |
| Saudi Arabia |
254.9 |
11.2 |
| USA |
219.1 |
9.6 |
| UAE |
171.4 |
7.5 |
| Korea |
169.8 |
7.4 |
| Yemen |
147.5 |
6.5 |
| Canada |
133.9 |
5.9 |
| Russia |
123.4 |
5.4 |
| Syria |
121.3 |
5.3 |
1.2.4 Wooden furniture
China exported a total of 284.2 million pieces of wooden
furniture in 2007, valued at US$10.685 billion, up 14.5 %
and 21.7 % respectively over the last year.
The US is the major importer of China’s wooden furniture,
with China’s exports to the US valued at USD5.14 billion
in 2007, accounting for 48.1% of China’s total exports.
Other important countries and regions which imported
China’s wooden furniture in 2007 were the UK (USD873
million, 8.2%), Hong Kong SAR (USD752 million, 7%)
and Japan (USD713 million, 6.7%).
1.2.5 Paper, paperboard and paper products
Paper and board exports totaled 4.23 million tons, valued
at USD3.16 million in 2007, up 38.5% and 41%
respectively from last year. Paper products export totaled
2.58 million tons, valued at USD3.94 million, up 19.9 %
in volume and 24.8 % in value over the last year.
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