In the first half of 2022, China's log imports reached 22.38 million cubic metres, valued at 4.567 billion US dollars, which is a 29% decrease in volume and a 13% decrease in value. However, the average price of imported logs was 204 US dollars (CIF) per cubic metre, which is 22% higher than in the corresponding period of 2021.

Of the total volume of log imports, softwood log imports fell sharply by 39% to 15.16 million cubic metres, accounting for 68% of the country's total import volume. Nevertheless, the average price of imported softwood logs rose by 17% over the same period to 166 US dollars (CIF) per cubic metre.

The main reason for the decline in log import volumes was a drop in imports from major suppliers; import volumes from New Zealand, Germany, Russia and the USA fell by 19%, 51%, 58% and 31% respectively, due to a downturn in the Chinese economy, lower harvest volumes in some countries, and rapidly rising shipping freight rates.

Log imports from Australia to China did not take place. In the first half of 2022, log imports from Australia effectively ceased. Australia has completely disappeared from the list of China's major log suppliers.

China's log imports from Australia have declined and eventually reached zero due to an import ban, as the Chinese quarantine service repeatedly detected pests in log shipments. Since the beginning of 2020, the quarantine service has repeatedly detected live pests in logs imported from Australia, such as longhorn beetles Cerambycidae and jewel beetles Buprestidae.

Main sources of softwood logs in the first half of 2022

Softwood log imports from almost all of China's major suppliers decreased in the first half of 2022. However, in the first half of 2022, softwood log imports from Latvia to China alone increased to 219,000 cubic metres, which in percentage terms is 535%!