ukrainian news - 09.10.2009
Global trade of wood chips down 26% in 2009
However,
this upward trend was broken in 2009 with trade being down 26% during
the first half of the year as compared to 2008. The drop in shipments
was the direct result of the global financial crises and the reduced
demand for paper products worldwide. This
year, only an estimated 25 million tons of wood chips will be shipped
worldwide, which is the lowest volume since 2002, WRI said. Japanese
pulp mills are still the major destination for the world’s chips
vessels; the country imported 53% of globally traded hardwood chips and
15% of softwood chips. Other
countries in Asia, including China, Taiwan and South Korea, accounted
for 12% of global imports, while the Nordic Countries have imported 14%
of traded chips this year. The
biggest plunge in shipments has been that of wood chips to Japan.
During the first six months, the country imported 34% less chips than
the same period last year, with the biggest decline being that of
softwood chips. Practically all major importing countries have reduced
their purchases this year. The only countries that have increased their
reliance on imported wood fiber are Turkey (softwood), China
(hardwood), Sweden (hardwood) and Portugal (hardwood), WRI said. The
countries that have reduced exports the most in 2009 are Australia,
South Africa, Vietnam and Uruguay. Australia, the world’s largest
exporter, has reduced shipments from 3.1 million tons the first half of
last year to 2.3 million tons during the same period this year. Uruguay
has cut back exports 65% this year, while shipments from South Africa
have declined 40%. With
pulp production slowly increasing this fall and energy companies in
Europe searching for additional sources of woody biomass, it is likely
that trade with wood chips will increase in 2010, WRI predicts.
See also:
- — Russia — Russia could delay increase in timber export duties, even cut them
- — Tymoshenko vows to tackle illegal logging more effectively
- — Romania-linked timber firm eyes investments
- — Finland — Finnish paper company to sever ties with logging firm linked to rainforest destruction in Indonesia
- — How tree communities respond to distance to edges and canopy openness
