Jun 19, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. Japan is keeping orders for plywood low since Japan’s domestic port stocks are at high levels, ITTO reported. Japanese inventories of domestic and imported panels are stagnating, since there is lack of distribution of supply in the market. The imported plywood market is softer, with export prices of South Sea hardwood plywood inching down due to weak purchases by Japanese buyers. A similar effect is happening for Japanese panels. Japan’s imports of South Sea processed lumber increased 16% in January-March 2007, in contrast to the same period for 2006. The primary reason for the rise was due to the 30 000 cubic meters of processed lumber imported from China during January-March.