China: Solid Wood Products Annual 2023

China’s consumption of wood products has fallen significantly due to slowing economic growth, a weakened housing sector, changing consumer preferences, and reduced demand from overseas markets. Hardwood and softwood log imports declined 10 percent and 38 percent, respectively, in 2022. Industry expects lumber will account for an increasing proportion of imported timber (as opposed to logs) due to comparatively greater freight efficiency, higher production costs to process logs into sawn timber, and a Russian ban on log exports including softwood and some high value hardwoods such as ash, maple, oak, and beech.