Japan's softwood lumber imports recovered sharply in June compared with the previous month, led by a 38% increase in shipments from the European Union. The monthly improvement nevertheless remained insufficient to offset the weakness seen earlier in the year, with total imports still 12% below June 2025 and cumulative first-half volumes down 13%.
Total softwood lumber imports reached 310,000 m³ in June, up 16% from May but 12% below the same month last year. During the first six months of 2026, imports totalled approximately 1.641 million m³, compared with around 1.89 million m³ in the first half of 2025.
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