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| Shrinking Import and Growing Export for Artificial Board in China |
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| January 23, 2006 |
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In 2005, China's artificial board industry maintained high-speed growth. Plywood and fiberboard, in particular, maintained a trend of shrinking import and growing export while maintaining substantial demand in the domestic market.
In the first three quarters of 2005, China imported 467,600 and 499,600 cubic meters of plywood and fiberboard respectively, dropping by 18.4% and 21.5% compared with the same period of previous year. In the same period, China exported 4,068,800 and 728,700 cubic meters of plywood and fiberboard respectively, increasing by 30.45% and 355% over the same period of previous year, of which, fiberboard export represents the highest growth, almost increasing by four times. Accordingly, plywood and fiberboard set a new high in foreign exchange earning, earning USD 1.3466 billion and USD 0.29055 billion respectively, increasing by 55.32% and 393.64% compared with the same period of previous year.
The annual output of plywood in China has hit 20.98 million cubic meters, making China a key producer and exporter in the world. In terms of such comprehensive factors as market demand, raw material resources, cost input and quality assurance, China's plywood industry features substantial vision and potential for further growth as well as great influence on the international market. In particular, continuous economic growth in our country has become a significant momentum to fuel the rapid growth of the plywood industry. Since the implementation of the Natural Forestry Resources Protection Project, timber from the fast-growing, high-yield forests in North China, South China and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has been supplied to market and high quality broad-leaved wood has been constantly imported from overseas market, which provides an extensive raw material source for China's plywood industry.
As another important sector in China's artificial board industry, fiberboard exhibits remarkable growing trend in export. Currently, annual output of fiberboard in China has hit 15.60 million cubic meters, increasing by 40% over previous year. Specifically, MDF (medium density fiberboard) represents the highest growth, hitting 14.66 million cubic meters and ranking first in the international market. Rapid growth of fiberboard is directly associated with the great demand of such sectors in China as house finishing, furniture making and reinforced laminated flooring. While satisfying domestic demand, China?s MDF has maintained growing trend in exporting to such countries and regions as Japan, South Korea, Russia and EU. This fully demonstrates that, with increasingly shrinkage of timber resources around the world, many countries are paying more attention to making full use of wood processing scraps, insignificant firewood and timber from fast-growing, high-yield forests to produce medium density fiberboard to meet people's needs for timber in individual countries.
Last year, China produced 6,430,000m3 shaving board and exported 4,100m3 shaving board, dropping by 65% compared with previous year; imported 21,400m3, increasing by 37.2% compared with previous year. Performance and growth for shaving board lag far behind that for plywood and fiberboard. This shows that China's artificial board industry should change the conception shaving board is inferior to fiberboard and shaving board production is unprofitable, and intensify their efforts to improve product quality and guide market consumption. Faced with worldwide shortage in timber resources and particularly, under the situation that China is implementing its policy of resources recycling, it can be asserted that it is prime time to develop shaving board. (Source: China Building Material News Daily) |
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