China: Wood Flooring Cluster in Changzhou City Set to Expand
At a recent Seminar on the national wood-based panel industry, Xu Yuexing, head of Henglin Town, Wujin District of Changzhou City in Jiangsu Province presented a paper entitled €Transformation and upgrading of the wood industrial cluster in Changzhou City€. The hosts for the seminar were the Research Institute of Timber Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, the China National Forestry Machinery Association, the China National Forest Industry Association and the China Green Times.
Henglin Town is home to many laminated flooring manufacturers. There are 175 flooring enterprises and 230 flooring service enterprises and most of these companies are in the flooring industrial zone. Eighteen of these enterprises have annual sales over RMB100 million and twelve are export oriented and earn around US$10 million in foreign exchange annually. Products from manufacturers in the zone are exported to 149 countries and regions including the USA, Russia and South Korea. Exports from these companies constitute around 65 percent of the national total. It has been forecast that production in this industrial cluster will increase to more than RMB20 billion by 2015 and that a further 5 to 6 flooring enterprises with sales over RMB 1 billion will be established.
Timber imports through Huzhou Port, Zhejiang Province forecast to double this year
During January to August, timber imports through Huzhou Port totaled 103,400 cubic metres and were valued at US$50.81 million, up 88 percent in volume and 86 percent in value from the same period in 2010. According to Huzhou Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, at this level of growth 2011 imports will likely be double that of last year and could total 150,000 cubic metres. According to local experts, there are several reasons for the increase such as:
- the huge demand for raw materials from processing enterprises in Huzhou City
- the increase in domestic timber prices has resulted in companies shifting their focus to overseas suppliers
- the appreciation of the Chinese currency makes imported timber cheaper so many enterprises are increasing their timber inventories
- some large flooring manufacturers began to import timber through the local port rather than other ports
Pace of furniture export growth slows in Qingdao
During January to August 2011, the total value of the furniture trade in Qingdao, Shandong Province rose around 2 percent to US$432 million but this rate of growth is lower than the national average (12%). The total value of furniture exports grew just 2 percent to US$426 million accounting for 44 percent of the total value of Provincial furniture exports.
The pace of growth in furniture exports from Qingdao has been slowing this year. By the end of the first quarter exports had increased 17 percent on the previous quarter but in the second quarter the increase was only 5 percent and by the end of August the rate of increase had fallen to just 2 percent compared to the same period in 2010. Three kinds of foreign enterprises (Sino-foreign joint ventures, cooperative ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises) as well as domestic private enterprises are the main furniture exporters.
During January to August the value of furniture exports by the three categories of foreign enterprises plus those by domestic private enterprises was US$420 million, making up almost 99 percent of the total value of the furniture trade. The value of furniture exports by the state-own enterprises was US$5.66 million, accounting for 1.3 percent of the total furniture trade value.
Japan, South Korea, the USA and European countries are the main destinations for furniture exports from Qingdao City. European countries are the main markets for furniture exports from Qingdao, the second largest market is the USA. Japan and South Korea are ranked third and fourth. The value of furniture exports to these four markets during the period January to August rose 10 percent to US$358 million and accounted for 84 percent of the total furniture exports value from Qingdao.
New Zealand accounts for 97 percent of log imports through Zhangzhou Port
During the first three quarters of this year log imports through Zhangzhou Port in Fujian Province totaled 1.06 million cubic metres and were valued at US$153 million, up 60 percent in volume and 78 percent in value from the same period in 2010.
The imported logs were mainly from New Zealand (1.03 million cubic metres valued at US$148 million) and accounting for around 97 percent of total log imports. Small quantities of logs were from exporters in Australia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and France. Exporters in Germany, Belgium, Uruguay and Taiwan P.o.C were new to the list of suppliers to Zhangzhou Port this year. The wood panel processing industry in Zhangzhou City has developed rapidly in recent years so the demand for logs has increased.
Henglin Town is home to many laminated flooring manufacturers. There are 175 flooring enterprises and 230 flooring service enterprises and most of these companies are in the flooring industrial zone. Eighteen of these enterprises have annual sales over RMB100 million and twelve are export oriented and earn around US$10 million in foreign exchange annually. Products from manufacturers in the zone are exported to 149 countries and regions including the USA, Russia and South Korea. Exports from these companies constitute around 65 percent of the national total. It has been forecast that production in this industrial cluster will increase to more than RMB20 billion by 2015 and that a further 5 to 6 flooring enterprises with sales over RMB 1 billion will be established.
Timber imports through Huzhou Port, Zhejiang Province forecast to double this year
During January to August, timber imports through Huzhou Port totaled 103,400 cubic metres and were valued at US$50.81 million, up 88 percent in volume and 86 percent in value from the same period in 2010. According to Huzhou Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, at this level of growth 2011 imports will likely be double that of last year and could total 150,000 cubic metres. According to local experts, there are several reasons for the increase such as:
- the huge demand for raw materials from processing enterprises in Huzhou City
- the increase in domestic timber prices has resulted in companies shifting their focus to overseas suppliers
- the appreciation of the Chinese currency makes imported timber cheaper so many enterprises are increasing their timber inventories
- some large flooring manufacturers began to import timber through the local port rather than other ports
Pace of furniture export growth slows in Qingdao
During January to August 2011, the total value of the furniture trade in Qingdao, Shandong Province rose around 2 percent to US$432 million but this rate of growth is lower than the national average (12%). The total value of furniture exports grew just 2 percent to US$426 million accounting for 44 percent of the total value of Provincial furniture exports.
The pace of growth in furniture exports from Qingdao has been slowing this year. By the end of the first quarter exports had increased 17 percent on the previous quarter but in the second quarter the increase was only 5 percent and by the end of August the rate of increase had fallen to just 2 percent compared to the same period in 2010. Three kinds of foreign enterprises (Sino-foreign joint ventures, cooperative ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises) as well as domestic private enterprises are the main furniture exporters.
During January to August the value of furniture exports by the three categories of foreign enterprises plus those by domestic private enterprises was US$420 million, making up almost 99 percent of the total value of the furniture trade. The value of furniture exports by the state-own enterprises was US$5.66 million, accounting for 1.3 percent of the total furniture trade value.
Japan, South Korea, the USA and European countries are the main destinations for furniture exports from Qingdao City. European countries are the main markets for furniture exports from Qingdao, the second largest market is the USA. Japan and South Korea are ranked third and fourth. The value of furniture exports to these four markets during the period January to August rose 10 percent to US$358 million and accounted for 84 percent of the total furniture exports value from Qingdao.
New Zealand accounts for 97 percent of log imports through Zhangzhou Port
During the first three quarters of this year log imports through Zhangzhou Port in Fujian Province totaled 1.06 million cubic metres and were valued at US$153 million, up 60 percent in volume and 78 percent in value from the same period in 2010.
The imported logs were mainly from New Zealand (1.03 million cubic metres valued at US$148 million) and accounting for around 97 percent of total log imports. Small quantities of logs were from exporters in Australia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and France. Exporters in Germany, Belgium, Uruguay and Taiwan P.o.C were new to the list of suppliers to Zhangzhou Port this year. The wood panel processing industry in Zhangzhou City has developed rapidly in recent years so the demand for logs has increased.