Foreign trade in timber in 2026

Foreign trade in wood in 2026: trade surplus exceeded $22.6 billion, exports of particle board increased by 111%

    The Shanghai National Exhibition Center recently hosted the 2026 conference on foreign trade in household goods and building materials. Shen Wei, General Secretary of the Chinese Wood and Wood Products Distributors Association, shared the latest data and in-depth analysis of the industry. The key conclusion is that the industry's trade surplus exceeded $22.6 billion, exports of particle board increased by 111.10% year-on-year, and the structure of foreign trade continues to optimize towards high-value-added products.

1. The big picture: the surplus exceeded $22.6 billion

    In recent years, the structure of trade in wood and wood products in China has continued to be optimized, demonstrating the characteristic feature of "large—scale import of raw materials - large-scale export of finished products."

Results of 2025:

    Although the scale of exports has decreased slightly compared to the previous peak, they remain at a high level. The main indicators of the industry's foreign trade are stable.

2. Import: volume reduction, supplier diversification

    In 2025, wood imports to China amounted to 65.55 million m3, which is 11.5% less than a year earlier.

Reasons for the decline:

•     - Internal forest resources and technologies for the production of wood products have reached maturity.
•     - Self-sufficiency in raw materials has increased significantly.

The structure of import of logs by species:

• - Softwood logs: 76% of supplies are from New Zealand.
• - Hardwood logs: Papua New Guinea, Russia, Solomon Islands.
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Import dynamics in early 2026 (year-on-year):

The trend towards supplier diversification:
    Imports from countries such as Japan, Canada and France increased. This indicates a clear trend towards diversification of supply chains and effective reduction of the risk of dependence on one region.

3. Export: particle board shot

    Exports of various wood products have shown steady growth. The growth in the segment of particle board (chipboard) is particularly noticeable.

Export of slab materials (January–April 2026, % YoY):

    Imports of all types of stoves decreased at the same time, which indicates the continued strengthening of the international competitiveness of domestic products.

Exports of household goods and building materials (January–April 2026):

Export geography:

• - Growing markets: Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America.
• - Traditional markets (Europe, USA): further strengthening of positions.
• - The result: a more balanced market structure.

4. Three main trends in the development of the industry

    Based on market data and analysis of the industry environment, Shen Wei identified three key trends.

Trend 1: Accelerated replacement of domestic products

•     - The total volume of imports of raw materials is gradually decreasing.
•     - Import sources are becoming more diversified.
•     - The security of the supply chain is improved.
•     - Chinese manufacturers are becoming less dependent on imports, especially in the mass segments (chipboard, plywood).

Trend 2: Transition to high-value-added products

•     - The advantages of finished products in export markets continue to grow.
•     - The industry is accelerating modernization towards high-tech and environmentally friendly products.
•     - The diversification of the market structure has become a common practice among enterprises.

Example: Chipboard exports increased by 111%. These are not just "finished products", but deep—processed products, where China is already globally competitive.

Trend 3: Green and low-carbon transformation

•     - The industry is fully entering the stage of transformation and modernization.
•     - The rejection of extensive large-scale expansion.
•     - Transition to safe, controlled and efficient production.
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•     Influenced by the "double carbon" policy (peak emissions by 2030, carbon neutrality by 2060) and market demand:

"Environmentally friendly manufacturing, intelligent manufacturing and integrated green supply chain management will become key competitive advantages for enterprises, allowing them to gain a foothold in the market" — Shen Wei

Key indicators of China's foreign timber trade:

Importance for market participants

1. - For Chinese manufacturers: the time for extensive growth is ending. We need to invest in technology, environmental friendliness, and access to new markets (Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America).
2. - For importers of raw materials: dependence on one region (New Zealand for coniferous logs, Russia for deciduous logs) is decreasing. Channels from Japan, Canada, and France are actively developing.
3. - For international suppliers of finished products: China is becoming an increasingly formidable competitor in the segments of chipboard, plywood, furniture. It is becoming more difficult to compete with Chinese prices and scale.
4. - For wood board exporters (for example, from Europe, Russia, Brazil): Chinese chipboard exports +111% are an alarming signal. China is seizing markets that used to be "nobody's".

Forecast

    The Chinese timber industry will continue to move along three vectors:

• - Import substitution of raw materials (buy less logs, more lumber and wood chips).
• - Increased exports of highly processed products (chipboard, plywood, furniture, doors).
• - Green transformation as a prerequisite for access to EU markets and other demanding jurisdictions.

    The trade surplus of $22.6 billion is not an accident, but the result of strategic planning and investments in refining. China has firmly established itself as a global timber processing plant, and its position is only strengthening every year.

Tags: #China #foreign trade #wood #wood products #import #export #chipboard #plywood #furniture #timber industry