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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

China Timber Imports Seen Rising

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

http://forests.org/

3/22/98

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by EE

In a move that could drastically effect the Asian log markets, China

has announced that its log imports will rise as it pursues stronger

forest conservation measures while stimulating its housing sector.

g.b.

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Title: China timber imports seen rising -- newspaper

Source: Reuters

Status: Copyright, contact source to reprint

Date: March 22, 1998

BEIJING, March 22 (Reuters) - China is forecasting a rise in timber

imports as the government curbs logging and at the same time

stimulates its housing sector, the China Daily reported on Sunday.

``Timber imports will definitely increase, but not inordinately,'' the

newspaper quoted an Agriculture Ministry forestry official as saying.

The growth rate of China's log imports will be determined

predominantly by market demand, said Liu Shuren of the ministry's

forestry products department.

Demand would grow with China's efforts to boost the housing sector,

identified last week by Premier Zhu Rongji as a target of state

efforts to stimulate China's economy.

Liu forecast strong demand for high-grade timber used for furniture

and interior decorating, which is in short supply in China. Chinese

warehouses had stockpiles of larch and other low-grade lumber, he

said.

China, which imported 4.0 million cubic metres (yards) of logs in

1997, would encourage timber imports and limit exports while

implementing forest protection projects that would drastically cut

domestic log output, he said.

The ministry aims to reduce log output in state forests to 13 million

cubic metres by the year 2000, 43 percent less than the 23 million

cubic metres harvest in 1997, the report said.

A separate China Daily report said the southern province of Guangdong

had increased efforts to attract foreign investment in its forestry

products sector, a source of $500 million worth of exports each year.

Sixty projects in timber processing, pulp and paper-making and fruit

orchards had drawn cumulative pledged capital of $850 million, the

report quoted Guangdong officials as saying.

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