Europe became the biggest offshore supplier of softwood lumber to Japan during the first six months of the year, figures from the global wood products market report Random Lengths International have revealed.
Exports from Europe to Japan increased by 22% on the same period in 2006, reaching 1.8 million m³, while the overall level of softwood lumber imports to Japan rose by 5% to 4.4 million m³.
The US, Russia and Chile also saw an increase in the volume of softwood lumber being exported to Japan during the period, with growth of 119%, 15% and 27% respectively.
However, Canada, which had been the biggest offshore supplier of softwood lumber to Japan with 1.7 million m³ during January to June 2006, saw its volume of exports decline by 18%.
Softwood lumber was the only wood-based product to see a year-on-year increase in imports to Japan during the first half of 2007, with hardwood logs, softwood logs and hardwood lumber all seeing declines.
