Demand from Japan has seen Australia’s wood chip export prices on the up during the first half of 2008, according to figures from Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ).
It said eucalyptus chip export prices are now US$167 per oven-dry metric tonne (odmt) for native sources and US$187/odmt from plantations, with radiata pine chips trading at US$147-151/obmt.
Chile and South Africa, two other major suppliers of eucalyptus chips to Japan, have also seen their prices rise by 19% and 14% respectively since last year.
WRQ added Australia shipped a record six million odmt of wood chips during 2007, with 2008 volumes also set to be strong.
However, despite the price rises, Australia has seen its market share of wood chip exports to Japan fall by 5% to 41% between the end of 2006 and the end of 2007, while US suppliers have seen their market share rise by 7%-32% over the same period.
