Japan's Imports of Tropical Timber in 1994



Japan's 1994 tropical timber imports were characterized by a continued increase in the proportion of plywood imports in relation to log imports, and increased imports of logs from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to make up for reduced log supplies from Malaysia. Japan's imports of tropical hardwood logs in 1994 (excluding imports of African timber) totalled 6.8 million m3, a 8.6 percent decrease from 1993 and the lowest recorded level since 1962. Tropical sawnwood imports also decreased 4.5 percent to 1,297,000 m3. However, imports of tropical plywood from Indonesia and Malaysia, at about 3,736,000 m3, were only slightly less than the all-time record of 3,774,000 m3 in 1993. Total 1994 tropical timber imports decreased 5.8 percent (simple total), or 4.4 percent (roundwood equivalents) compared to 1993.

Japan's Tropical Timber Imports, 1988-1994 (units: 1000 m3)

Tropical Logs:
        
1988:     11,655
1989:     12,560
1990:     11,102
1991:     10,115
1992:      9,969
1993:      7,438
1994:      6,802
Change 1993-1994:     -8.6 percent

Tropical Sawnwood
        
1988:      1,184
1989:      1,736
1990:      1,274
1991:      1,203
1992:      1,197 
1993:      1,358
1994:      1,297  
Change 1993-1994:     -4.5 percent

Tropical Plywood: 
       
1988:      1,814
1989:      3,003 
1990:      2,763
1991:      2,879
1992:      2,770
1993:      3,774 
1994:      3,736  
Change 1993-1994:     -1.0 percent

Total 

1988:      14,653
1989:      17,299
1990:      15,139
1991:      14,197
1992:      13,936
1993:      12,570
1994:      11,835
Change 1993-1994:     -5.8 percent

Total in Round Wood Equivalent

1988:      17,982 
1989:      22,626
1990:      19,776
1991:      18,926
1992:      18,519
1993:      18,590
1994:      17,755
Change 1993-1994:     -4.5 percent


(Compiled by SCC from Nikkan Mokuzai Shimbun, 25 and 27 March 1993; 26 May 1994; 6 February & 8 March 1995; and Japan Lumber Reports, 2 April 1995. RWE figures calculated by SCC.)

1 Tropical plywood import figures for 1988-1992 are for imports from Indonesia only (which constituted more than 95 percent of total) whereas figures for 1993 & 1994 are for imports from Indonesia and Malaysia.

2 Roundwood Equivalent (RWE) is a measure of the "underbark" log volume which would have been necessary to obtain one unit of volume of the processed product. Figures for roundwood (volume) equivalents have been calculated on the basis of the conversion coefficients 1.82 for hardwood sawnwood and 2.3 for plywood, used by the FAO (1991).

Japan's Tropical Hardwood Log Imports 1992-1994

(units: 1000 m3)
Sabah:
 
1992:      2,064
1993:        293
1994:          0  
Change 1993-1994:      -100 percent

Sarawak:       
 
1992:      6,363  
1993:      4,922  
1994:      4,463
Change 1993-1994:      -9.3 percent

PNG:        

1992:      1,163 
1993:      1,754 
1994:      1,932 
Change 1993-1994:      +10.1 percent

Solomon Islands:        

1992:        309  
1993:        346  
1994:        338  
Change 1993-1994:      -2.3 percent

Laos:        

1992:         13
1993:         13
1994:         40
Change 1993-1994:      +200 percent

Myanmar:        

1992:         13  
1993:         76  
1994:         22  
Change 1993-1994:      -71 percent

Cambodia:        

1992:         36  
1993:         24  
1994:          5  
Change 1993-1994:      -77 percent

Vietnam: 
       
1992:         10  
1993:          0  
1994:          0

Vanuatu:        

1992:          0 
1993:          4 
1994:          0

Philippines:        

1992:          0 
1993:          2  
1994:          0


Total	

1992:      9,969  
1993:      7,438
1994:      6,802 


Change 1993-1994:      -8.6 percent


(Nippon Mokuzai Shimbun, 16 February 1995; 10 February 1994)

Tropical hardwood log imports from Sarawak, Malaysia decreased 9.3 percent to 4.5 million m3 in 1994. This accounted for about 52 percent of log exports from Sarawak.1 Log imports from Papua New Guinea increased 10.1 percent to 1.9 million m3 and those from the Solomon Islands decreased 2.3 percent to 338,000 m3.

Japan's 1994 Plywood Imports (units: 1000 m3)

Indonesia - 3,228
change from 1993= -6.2 percent
Share: 79.8 percent

Malaysia - 508
change from 1993= +34.6 percent
Share: 12.6 percent

Canada - 183
change from 1993= +8.8 percent
Share: 4.5 percent

USA - 47
change from 1993= +8.7 percent
Share: 1.2 percent

New Zealand - 31
change from 1993= +48.0 percent
Share: 0.8 percent

Taiwan - 16
change from 1993= +37.0 percent
Share: 0.4 percent

Brazil - 15
change from 1993= +50.0 percent
Share: 0.4 percent

China - 1
change from 1993= +8.0 percent
Share: 0.05 percent

Italy - 1
change from 1993= -
Share: 0.0 percent

Total (incl. others) 4,045
change from 1993= -1.0 percent
Share: 100.0 percent

(Ministry of Finance Trade Statistics, quoted in Nippon Mokuzai Shimbun, 8 March 1995)

Tropical plywood imports from Indonesia decreased 6.2 percent to 3.2 million m3, while those from Malaysia increased 34.6 percent to 508,000 m3; plywood imports from these two countries totalled 92.4 percent of all (including non-tropical) plywood imports. Though total tropical timber imports in roundwood equivalents decreased somewhat in 1994, this cannot be equated with reduced environmental and social impact, as logging of steep slopes and water-catchment areas as well as premature second logging of coups is feared to be intensifying in the already seriously depleted forests of Sarawak, Malaysia, while escalated logging in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands is causing serious violations of residents' rights. These trends reflect a vast increase in local wood processing in Sarawak, Malaysia, a ban on log exports from Sabah, Malaysia since 1993, and capture of a large share of the Japanese market by the Indonesian and Malaysian plywood industry.

(1Note: According to the Sarawak Timber Association, log production in Sarawak in 1994 was 16.3 million m3 (2 percent less than 1993), of which 12.9 million m3 (5.6 percent less than 1993) was from hill forests. 8.6 million m3 (5.8 percent less than 1993) was exported as logs while 7.7 million m3 (1.7 million m3 more than 1993) was processed locally. (Nippon Mokuzai Shimbun, 22 April 1995))

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