China's fiberboard exports rose 35% year-on-year, with Vietnam becoming its largest overseas market.

January 15, 2026 | Source: Mu Lian Data

According to the latest data from China Customs, in the first three quarters of 2025, Malaysia’s exports to China... Fiberboard Export volumes surged to 1,400 tons, a year-on-year increase of 683%, marking the largest growth rate among all supplying countries. During the same period, China’s total imports of fiberboard reached 45,000 tons, up 16% from the previous year, accounting for approximately 50% of global supply and reflecting a rebound in downstream manufacturing demand.

New Zealand remains China’s largest supplier of fiberboard, exporting 22,000 tons to China—a 95% year-on-year increase. Thailand and Germany follow closely behind, but both saw declines in their export volumes: Thailand exported 5,000 tons to China, down 26%; Germany exported 4,400 tons, a 20% decrease. Spain’s exports to China rose by 34% to 1,500 tons, though its growth rate was far outpaced by Malaysia’s remarkable performance.

China’s own exports of fiberboard have grown even more significantly. According to a report by the International Tropical Timber Organization, headquartered in Tokyo, from January to September 2025, China’s fiberboard exports reached 2.62 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 35%. This robust growth was driven primarily by strong demand from Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Vietnam remains China’s largest overseas market for fiberboard, with imports surging by 126% to 501,000 tons. Saudi Arabia, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada also recorded double-digit growth. Meanwhile, exports to the United States and Nigeria slowed down, declining by 9% and 1%, respectively.

In its latest market report, the International Tropical Timber Organization noted: “China’s exports of fiberboard to most of the top seven markets have all recorded varying degrees of growth, driving an overall increase in the country’s total fiberboard exports.”

However, China’s wooden furniture industry still faces challenges. In the first three quarters of 2025, China’s exports of wooden furniture fell by 7% to US$16.69 billion, with exports to its largest market, the United States, plunging by 18% to US$4.24 billion. Despite the overall decline, China’s exports to other major markets remained stable: exports of wooden furniture to the UK reached US$1.2 billion, and exports to Australia totaled US$1.1 billion. Malaysia is also an important buyer of Chinese wooden furniture, with imports amounting to US$445 million, representing an 18% increase year-on-year.

During the same period, China’s imports of wooden furniture also declined by 6% to US$461 million. Italy remained the largest supplier, accounting for 46% of China’s total imports; however, its exports to China fell by 9% to US$214 million. Imports from Germany, Vietnam, and France also saw declines. On the other hand, smaller suppliers such as Thailand, Slovakia, and Indonesia recorded growth in their exports to China.

Disclaimer: All content marked with a source indication is either a reprinted article or posted by corporate users. This website reprints such content solely for the purpose of conveying additional information. If the reprinted articles or images involve copyright issues, please contact us to have them removed. Furthermore, with regard to user comments and other similar information, this website does not necessarily endorse their views nor confirm the accuracy of their content.