Slight rise in China’s tropical sawnwood import volume

Of total sawn hardwood imports, China’s tropical sawnwood imports accounted for 2.99 million cubic metres (18% of all sawn hardwood imports) in 1H 2020, up by 2% YoY.

The value of these imports was $942 million, down by 11% YoY. The average price of imported tropical sawnwood was $315 per m3, down by 13% YoY.

Thailand was the main supplier of China’s tropical sawnwood imports in 1H 2020, at 1.67 million m3, down by 7% YoY. This volume was worth $453 million, down by 15%.

The top ten suppliers of tropical sawnwood to China in the first half of 2020 were Thailand (56% of the total volume), Gabon (9%), the United Republic of Tanzania (6%), Brazil (5.3%), the Philippines (4.7%), Indonesia (3.1%), Cameroon (2.2%), Malaysia (2.0%), Viet Nam (1.98%) and Myanmar (1.94%).