U.S.-China Trade of Wood Hardwood Plywood & Logs Slows

Washington, DC, September 11, 2020-U.S. imports of hardwood plywood from China have plummeted from 1.370 billion square feet in 2017 to 139 million square feet in the last 12 months, according to the Decorative Hardwoods Association. 

“In that time, imports from Vietnam have surged from 30 million square feet in 2017 to 546 million square feet in the last 12 months; imports from Indonesia jumped from 361 million square feet to 541 million square feet. The value of hardwood plywood imports from China sank from $574 million to $61 million while the value of imports from Vietnam rose from $30 million to $257 million and the value of imports from Indonesia increased from $196 million to $268 million.”

In addition, the same source reports that, “The U.S. is no longer China's largest supplier of hardwood logs. China's global imports of hardwood logs fell 17% in the first half of 2020. The country's global imports of softwood logs fell 16%, accounting for 72% of the national total.”