From January to April, China imported 19.9455 million cubic meters of timber, a year-on-year decrease of 12.18% in cumulative terms.

2026-06-10 Source: China National Timber Association

From January to April 2026, China’s imports of roundwood totaled 19.9455 million cubic meters, down 12.18% year-on-year on a cumulative basis. Specifically, roundwood imports amounted to 10.1438 million cubic meters, a year-on-year decline of 7.75%, while sawn timber imports reached 6.9026 million cubic meters, down 16.33% compared with the same period last year.

1. China’s softwood logs, January–April 2026

Import Overview

From January to April 2026, China’s total imports of softwood logs declined slightly year on year. Radiata pine Import volumes remain firmly led by the main source, with year-on-year declines far smaller than those of other species; among importing countries, New Zealand accounts for the largest share, with its import volume declining slightly year on year, while Germany has seen a sharp drop; by contrast, imports from Japan, Canada, and Latvia have increased compared with the same period last year.

From January to April 2026, China’s imports of softwood logs totaled 7.3738 million cubic meters, down 7.47% year-on-year. The main species include radiata pine, White Pine 、 Douglas fir 、 Korean pine and Chinese Pine Among them, the import volume of radiata pine logs was 5.458 million cubic meters, accounting for 74% of the total import volume of coniferous logs.

During the same period, the cumulative import volumes of radiata pine, white pine, Korean pine, Scots pine, and Douglas fir all declined year over year. Specifically, Korean pine and Scots pine fell by 29% year on year, white pine by 28.4%, and Douglas fir by 24.8%. By contrast, radiata pine posted a relatively modest year-on-year decline of just 4.6%.

From January to April 2026, China’s main import sources of softwood logs were New Zealand, Japan, and Canada. New Zealand accounted for 75.5% of total softwood log imports, Japan for 8.1%, and Canada for 6%. Among traditional supplier markets, New Zealand’s cumulative imports declined by 5.1% year-on-year, while Germany saw a sharp drop of 84.1%; by contrast, Japan, Canada, and Latvia all posted year-on-year growth, with increases of 5.5%, 7.5%, and 15.3%, respectively.

2. China’s hardwood logs, January–April 2026

Import Overview

From January to April 2026, the total volume of hardwood log imports declined year over year. Among species, okoumé posted a notable year-on-year increase, while North American hardwoods saw a pronounced decline; among importing countries, Papua New Guinea accounted for the largest share and recorded a slight year-on-year rise, whereas U.S. imports experienced a significant year-on-year drop.

From January to April 2026, China’s imports of hardwood roundwood totaled 2.77 million cubic meters, down 8.5% year on year. The main species include birch, oak, eucalyptus, and beech. Among these, birch imports amounted to 415,400 cubic meters, accounting for 15% of the total hardwood roundwood imports, while oak imports reached 315,600 cubic meters, representing 11.4%.

Among broadleaf log imports during the same period, imports of North American hardwoods, beech, and poplar declined significantly, falling by 43.8%, 26.6%, and 18.8% year-on-year, respectively, while oak saw a modest pullback. By contrast, imports of okoumé, bolong, and eucalyptus increased year-on-year, with okoumé posting the strongest growth at 35.3%.

From January to April 2026, the main import sources of China’s broadleaf roundwood were Papua New Guinea, Russia, and the Solomon Islands, accounting for 22.3%, 18.2%, and 13% of the total import volume, respectively. Cumulative imports from Papua New Guinea increased slightly year-on-year by 3.7%, while those from Russia and the Solomon Islands declined by 15% and 13.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, U.S. imports fell sharply, down 43.3% year-on-year.

3. China’s softwood sawn timber, January–April 2026

Import Overview

From January to April 2026, the total volume of softwood lumber imports declined year over year. Among species, Douglas fir sawn timber posted a substantial year-on-year increase; among importing countries, Russia accounted for more than 60% but its import volume fell, while Brazil, the United States, and Germany all recorded significant year-on-year declines, with New Zealand and Canada posting modest gains.

From January to April 2026, China’s imports of softwood sawn timber totaled 3.696 million cubic meters, down 27.12% year on year. The main species include white pine, red pine, and Korean pine; among them, white pine accounted for 1.73 million cubic meters, or 46.8% of total softwood sawn timber imports, while red pine and Korean pine combined amounted to 1.197 million cubic meters, representing 32.4%.

During the same period, imports of white pine, red pine, Scots pine, and radiata pine all declined year over year, with decreases of 24.9%, 28.6%, and 16.7%, respectively; meanwhile, imports of Douglas fir posted a substantial increase, rising 89.9% year to date.

From January to April 2026, China’s main import sources of softwood lumber included Russia, Canada, and Belarus. Russia accounted for 65.9% of the country’s total softwood lumber imports, with cumulative import volumes down 30.9% year on year. Brazil, Germany, and the United States all recorded significant year-on-year declines in cumulative imports, at 60.8%, 59.3%, and 54%, respectively. Meanwhile, New Zealand and Canada posted year-on-year growth, with increases of 11% and 2.5%, respectively.

4. China’s hardwood sawn timber, January–April 2026

Import Overview

From January to April 2026, the total volume of hardwood lumber imports increased slightly year over year. Imports are diversified across species, with oak accounting for the largest share; among importing countries, Thailand remains the top source, though its import volume declined marginally compared with the same period last year. Meanwhile, imports from Russia and the United States fell, while those from Vietnam and Myanmar surged on a year-over-year basis.

From January to April 2026, China’s imports of hardwood sawn timber totaled 3.2066 million cubic meters, up 0.9% year on year. Oak accounted for the largest share of imported hardwood sawn timber, with 230,000 cubic meters, representing 7.2% of the total. Other major species include white ash, beech, birch, and North American hard hardwoods, among others.

From January to April 2026, China’s main import sources of hardwood lumber were Thailand, Russia, the Philippines, the United States, Vietnam, and Gabon. Among these, imports from Thailand accounted for 45.7% of total hardwood lumber imports, with cumulative volumes down 2.6% year on year. Imports from Russia and the United States declined by 27.9% and 22.8%, respectively, while imports from Vietnam and Myanmar surged, posting year-on-year increases of 244.3% and 127.6%, respectively.

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Editor: Fang Fen