{"id":81139,"date":"2021-09-01T10:28:07","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T10:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tin.happy-projects.ro\/chinese-softwood-lumber-imports-fall-sharply-softwood-logs-purchases-growing-steadily\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T08:56:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T08:56:00","slug":"chinese-softwood-lumber-imports-fall-sharply-softwood-logs-purchases-growing-steadily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.timberindustrynews.com\/ro\/chinese-softwood-lumber-imports-fall-sharply-softwood-logs-purchases-growing-steadily\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese softwood lumber imports fall sharply, softwood logs purchases growing steadily"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the first seven months, China's softwood lumber imports fell by a third compared to the same period last year.<\/em><\/p>\n

From January to July, China imported 10.38 million m\u00b3, a third less softwood lumber than in the same period of the previous year.\u00a0The decline from Russia is particularly noteworthy - these imports fell by 27% to 6.63 million m\u00b3.<\/p>\n

Deliveries from Canada (565,000 m\u00b3; -70%) and Finland (438,000 m\u00b3; -29%) also fell significantly.<\/p>\n

China imported more softwod lumber from the Ukraine (617,000 m\u00b3; + 13%), from Brazil (337,000 m\u00b3; + 77%) and New Zealand (299,000 m\u00b3; + 73%).<\/p>\n

A dynamic first half for China's softwood log market<\/strong><\/p>\n

Soaring raw material prices and reduced inventory characterized China\u2019s softwood log market during the first half (H1) of 2021. Softwood log demand rose to record high-levels, outpacing the supply after the Chinese New Year in February. This historic high consumption was fueled mainly by government expenditure that set construction activity above pre-Covid levels.<\/p>\n

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China's softwood log imports increased by 35 percent during H1 of 2021. New Zealand maintained its spot as the number one exporter of softwood logs to China, accounting for about 40 percent of total imports, followed by Germany comprising 24 percent, Russia 8 percent, United States 5 percent and Uruguay 4 percent.<\/p>\n

South American softwood log exports remained strong throughout the first half of 2021 despite the increase in ocean freight costs. Shippers, especially in Uruguay, got very creative by loading five Supramax-size vessels and two Cape-size vessels to break away from the traditional Handy size logger vessel due to the high charter rate. Additionally, Brazil doubled its softwood log exports to China during the first half of 2021 to over half a million tons of logs.<\/p>\n

China\u2019s softwood log imports from the United States (U.S.) increased nearly 95 percent during the first half of 2021 compared to the same period the previous year. This growth was fueled by Southern Yellow Pine log exports from the U.S. East Coast, which reached over 800,000 Cubic Meters (CBM) exported during the first half of 2021, despite port congestion and container availability issues.<\/p>\n

Except for an increase in imported lumber from Russia, overall lumber imports into China decreased by about 12 percent for the first half of the year in comparison with the second half of 2020. This decrease pushed prices higher and caused shortages in the market, spurring domestic production to cover for the shortfall.<\/p>\n

After almost 18 months of steady higher prices for softwood logs that led to record-high export volume from South America and the U.S. East Coast, the Chinese market started to soften in early June. Softwood log consumption decreased by about 30% in June compared to June 2020. The market will most likely remain slow throughout the summer in China for the following reasons:<\/p>\n