Of total log imports, softwood log imports fell 16% to 30.06 million cubic metres, accounting for 67% of the national total. The average price for imported softwood logs was $122 per cubic metre, down 20%. The rate of decline for softwood log imports was larger than that for hardwood log imports.
Hardwood log imports fell 6% to 14.49 million cubic metres and made up 33% of the national total. The average price for imported hardwood logs was $303 per cubic metre, down 27%.
Of total hardwood log imports, tropical log imports were 8.9 million cubic metres valued at $2.8 billion, down 10% in volume and 32% in value and accounted for 20% of the national total.
While not reflected in the official data, estimates put the 2014 volume of logs arriving from Myanmar, despite the log export ban in Myanmar, at between 800-900,000 cubic metres. In 2015 analysts estimate that this had fallen to just over 350,000 cubic metres.
The average price for imported tropical logs was $319 per cubic metre, a year on year decrease of 25%.
