KUCHING: Japan has spent nearly RM200 million for the imports of wooden office furniture, kitchen furniture, wooden bedroom furniture as well as wooden furniture parts from some 25 countries, including Malaysia, in December 2023.
The single biggest import bill of RM86.4 million is on wooden bedroom furniture (HS 940350), followed by wooden furniture parts (HS 940391) (RM59.2 million), kitchen furniture (HS 940340) (RM45.6 million) and wooden office furniture (HS 940330) (RM8.23 million).
Together, Japan paid RM199.4 million for the imports for the month under review, according to the country’s Finance Ministry data reported by International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Tropical Timber Market Report (March 1-15, 2024).
“Japan’s imports of wooden furniture parts are very diverse, much more so than with imports of assembled furniture. In December 2023, shippers in China topped the list of shippers in terms of the value of exports of wooden furniture parts to Japan, accounting just over 45% (RM28.3 million) of the total December import value,” said the report.
This was followed by Indonesia, which made up 20 per cent (RM12.1 million). Vietnam 13 per cent (RM7.67 million) and Malaysia nine per cent (RM5.55 million).
“All four top shippers witnessed a decline in the value of December shipments and for the month, there was an overall 11% decline in the value of imports. There was also a 13% decline in year-on-year imports in December,” said the ITTO report.
On wooden bedroom furniture, the report said beginning in September 2023, there was a recovery in the value of imports into Japan, and the upward trend continued through October and November but the upswing slowed in December when month-on-month, the value of imports was almost unchanged. However, compared to a year ago, December 2023 imports were up by about three per cent.
“Shippers in Vietnam do well in Japan with shipments of HS 940340 and HS 940350. In December, shippers in Vietnam accounted for around 35% (RM29.1 million) of the value of imports to Japan of HS 940350 but, as in previous months, the top shipper was China with close to 60% (RM50.7 million) of the total value of December arrivals.
“Other major shipments were from Malaysia at 3-4% (RM3.94 million), Thailand, Indonesia as well as small amounts from Italy and Poland,” added the report.
On wooden kitchen furniture, the report said suppliers from the Philippines and Vietnam have already accounted for more than 80 per cent of Japan’s imports of the product.
The Philippines and Vietnam exported RM20.6 million and RM16.34 million worth of kitchen furniture respectively while China shippers contributed a further seven per cent (RM3.17 million). Malaysia only supplied RM552,050 worth of kitchen furniture to Japan in December.
The value of Japan’s imports of HS 940340 in December 2023 was unchanged when compared to a year earlier, and also largely unchanged when compared to November 2023.
Malaysia is the second largest supplier of wooden office furniture to Japan in December 2023 with shipments worth RM432,482, representing just about five per cent of Japan’s total imports for the month.
Shipments from China accounted for more than 80 per cent (RM6.96 million) of Japan’s total imports, marking a sharp jump in the value of shipments from November 2023. The other significant shipper was the United States, accounting for about three per cent.
“Year-on-year, the value of December 2023 imports of wooden office furniture was down 15%. However, compared to November 2023, there was a 10% increase in the value of imports.”
