world news - 17.09.2003
Japan: First Half Panel Supply
Domestic plywood production increased 9.4% compared to the same period of last year as imports fell. The share in production share of softwood plywood increased to 60% for domestic plywood production. The total supply of fiberboard excluding MDF fell 3% while the supply of MDF also dropped (-1.5%) because of a decline in imports
In contrast to the situation with plywood manufacturers, overseas MDF plants secured the new JIS standards by July but import were held down because stocks of old grade material were disposed of as a priority.
The supply of particleboard increased 3.1%. OSB imports in the first half year were the same as last year at around 93,00 cubic metres. Imports of melamine coated boards increased 27.4% to 59,950 cubic metres. For these boards the share of domestic and imported boards was just about a half and half .
In the first half year the total supply of wood-based panels in Japan was 4,954,415 cubic metres, 2.1% less than the same period last year. Because of a drop in plywood imports, the share of plywood in total panel supply fell to 71% and the share of imported panels was 50.5%, 3.7% less than the same period of last year.
See also:
- — Russian Production Up
- — US Residential Construction in August
- — Canada: Housing Starts Up in August
- — West African Log Prices
- — West Africa Sawnwood Prices
