2017 International Forest Industries Magazines April May 2017 | Page 32
LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS – ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCTS
Japan’s production of softwood plywood up 1.4% in January
Japan’s production of softwood
plywood in January 2017 was
227,700 cubic metres, 1.4% more
than January last year and 4.6%
less than December, ITTO reports.
Fewer working days in
December by year-end holidays
and lower efficiency of drying by
cold weather in the North East and
Japan Sea side plants caused lower
production.
The shipment in December
was 235,000 cubic metres, 1.1%
less and 1.8% less. The shipment
exceeded production by 7,200
cubic metres.
Precutting plants were busy
in January to catch up delayed
orders.Plywood plants continue
full production because mills in
Eastern Japan carry about a month
of delivery delay and Western
Japan mills have maximum of three
months of delay. The inventory
dropped down to 83,300 cubic
metres, 7,200 cubic metres less
than December so tightness
continues.
January arrivals of imported
plywood were 308,500 cubic
metres, 17.4% more and 32.1%
more. Malaysia supplied 133,400
cubic metres, 28.5% and 51.8%
more. Indonesia 88,500 cubic
metres, 6.5% and 23.2% more;
China 69,000 cubic metres.
Brazilian exports of wood-based products
increased by 20% in January
In January 2017 Brazilian exports of
wood-based products (except pulp
and paper) increased 20% in value
compared to January 2016, from
$175.2 million to $210.3 million,
ITTO reports.
.The value of pine sawnwood
exports fell 82% between January
2016 ($20.2 million) and January
2017 ($3.7 million). In terms of
volume the change was 102,000
cubic metres in January 2015 to just
18,000 cubic metres this January.
In contrast, the volume of
tropical sawnwood exports rose
32% from 24,800 cubic metres
in January 2016 to 32,800 cubic
metres in January this year.
However the value of these exports
increased by just 13% from $12.1
30 International Forest Industries | APRIL / MAY 2017
million in January last year to
$13.7 million this year.Brazil’s
pine plywood exports increased
31% in value in January 2017 in
comparison with January 2016
levels, from $26.6 million to $34.8
million.
In volume terms exports
increased 29% over the same
period.Tropical plywood exports
from Brazil increased significantly
in volume and in value in January
this year rising from 6,200 cubic
metres ($2.2 million) in January
2016 to 10,600 cubic metres ($3.9
million).The value of wooden
furniture exports also rose in
January from $23.6 million in
January 2015 to $26.6 million in
January this year.