Chinas timber prices down

Sawlog prices in China declined for the first time in three years in the 4Q/08 because of reduced demand for lumber, panels and paper products both domestically and from export markets, reports Wood Resource Quarterly.
As a result, softwood log imports were down again in the 4Q for the sixth consecutive quarter. Total softwood imports were 4.2 million m3, down from 6.5 million m3 in the 2Q/07.
Practically all of the decrease was due to falling importation of logs from Russia; other suppliers have actually increased their presence in China.
New Zealand has doubled its shipments of pine logs in one year to 650,000m3 in the 4Q. The market share has gone up from 6% to as much as 15% in just 12 months.
Log imports from North America have also increased in the past year, although the total volume is still relatively small.