China Woodchip Imports up 340% since 2008
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China's imports of woodchips increased 340% between 2008 and 2010, and import levels are expected to more than double by 2015, according to a new RISI, Boston, Mass., USA, report. The prediction is included in the Special Market Analysis Study: The 18th annual International Pulpwood Trade Review, released this week. This year's Review provides detailed information on changes to global demand and supply for pulpwood fiber, as well as a comprehensive register of global pulp and woodchip suppliers, traders, and buyers.
The Review also includes details on woodchip trading companies and end-users, along with details on 135 woodchip export operations around the world and a complete listing of the 168 specialized woodchip carriers in service in early 2011, including owners and charterers.
Robert Flynn, co-author of the Review, noted that "the international woodchip trade jumped to record levels in 2010, in both the Pacific and Atlantic markets, and biomass exports from North America to Europe also hit an all-time record. This was good news for those connected to the market, considering that 2009 was a terrible year for the woodchip trade, and that was followed by the major earthquake in Chile, one of the world's largest woodchip suppliers. Looking ahead, there will be new woodchip suppliers starting up export operations in at least eight countries in 2011 - 2012, in response to continued global growth in these markets."
However, co-author Dennis Neilson cautioned that "larger volumes do not always mean larger or even sufficient margins for suppliers. Landowners are realizing lower returns, and coupled with slower economies and rising food and fuel prices, we are predicting some plantations will switch to more profitable crops, or that some landowners will simply sell their land after harvesting. So we look to 2011 with clear signs of growing demand in the markets, but also increasing uncertainty that woodchip prices will be sufficient to ensure that available supply will be adequate to meet that demand in the future."
A complete prospectus of the 2011 edition of the International Pulpwood Trade Review is available online.
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