Just as Australia\u2019s housing market is beginning to show tentative signs of recovery, its building-materials supply chain is facing renewed pressure from a sharp influx of low-priced laminated veneer lumber (LVL) imports from China. The scale and pricing of these shipments have unsettled market participants and prompted the Australian government to open a formal anti-dumping investigation.<\/p>\n
According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia imported more than 205,000 cubic metres of LVL in the ten months to October 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of around 63%. The growth was driven almost entirely by softwood LVL, with China accounting for close to 70% of total volumes. Chinese deliveries alone exceeded the combined shipments from established suppliers such as Finland, Poland and the United States.<\/p>\n
The sharp rise in volumes has been accompanied by an equally striking collapse in prices. Average import prices for LVL fell to about USD 404 per cubic metre, nearly half previous levels. Landed prices for Chinese material dropped as low as USD 276 per cubic metre, while some consignments shipped from Qingdao reportedly reached a historic low of USD 173 per cubic metre. By comparison, imported softwood lumber during the same period was priced at around USD 733 per cubic metre. Excluding Chinese cargoes, the average LVL import price would have been closer to USD 860 per cubic metre, underscoring the decisive impact of Chinese supply on the market.<\/p>\n
Industry participants say the combination of surging volumes and collapsing prices has raised serious concerns, particularly given the limited scale of domestic LVL manufacturing in Australia. While imports have traditionally supplemented local production, the current pace and pricing are seen as unprecedented. Even during the recent downturn in residential construction, annual LVL imports had typically hovered around 300,000 cubic metres. Reaching more than 200,000 cubic metres in just ten months marks a new high and reflects a rapid acceleration in inflows.<\/p>\n
Against this backdrop, the Australian government has moved quickly. Senator Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, confirmed that Canberra would support the Anti-Dumping Commission in conducting a full investigation. He said the government was committed to ensuring that Australia\u2019s trade-remedy framework remained fit for purpose and capable of addressing potential cases of unfair competition.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Just as Australia\u2019s housing market is beginning to show tentative signs of recovery, its building-materials supply chain is facing renewed pressure from a sharp influx of low-priced laminated veneer lumber (LVL) imports from China. The scale and pricing of these … Continue reading