China’s Demand for Tropical Timber to Skyrocket by
Brussels Belgium, October 4, 2006--China’s imported tropical timber is mainly used to produce face and back of plywood and blockboard, solid furniture and as raw material for construction, interior decoration and home improvement. As a result, China’s demand for tropical timber depends on the development of these sectors, according to IHB.
According to local analysts, timber demand for plywood and blockboard, solid flooring, furniture and other end-uses would be 40 million m3 (of which 8 million m3 tropical timber), 60-70 million m2 (1.5 million m3 of tropical timber) and 21 million m3 (5 million m3 tropical timber), respectively by 2010. Adding another 1.5 million m3 for other end uses, 16 million m3 of tropical timber would be needed by that year. In 2005, China’s tropical log imports reached 7.42 million m3 while sawnwood imports were 2.79 million, giving a total of 11.41 million m3 roundwood equivalent (assuming a conversion factor of 1.43). Therefore, it is estimated that China would need almost 5 million m3 more of tropical timber to cope with demand by 2010.
However, China’s tropical timber imports have been leveling off in recent years due to bottlenecks in supply capacity in the international market. Analysts think that supply capacity, market prices, domestic tropical production and changes in national policies will affect China’s consumption tropical timber in the years to come.
