KUCHING: Malaysia is the only leading plywood supplier that saw an increase in its exports to Japan in August 2024.
For the month under review, Malaysia’s plywood shipments jumped by more than 10 per cent to 56,800 cubic metres (cu m) to Japan as compared to 49,800 cu m in the previous month of July, data from Japan Finance Ministry has shown.
August’s shipment was the largest monthly made by Malaysia to Japan this year. The second largest monthly shipment of 51,000 cu m was recorded in June, followed by 50,200 cu m in January.
In the January-August 2024 period (8m2024), Malaysia recorded total plywood export volume to Japan at 394,800 cu m, and was way ahead of No 2 supplier Indonesia, with shipments of 385,000 cu m in 8m2024.
In 8m2023, Malaysia recorded lower shipment volume of plywood to Japan at 316,700 cu m. Year-on-year, the export volume by Malaysia to Japan climbed by 78,100 cu m nearly 25 per cent.
In August, Indonesia’s plywood export to Japan fell marginally to 47,900 cu m from 49,700 cu m in July.
Vietnam, the No 3 supplier, exported 14,700 cu m of plywood to Japan in August, and this was a reduction against 15,800 cu m in July. In 8m2024, Vietnam’s total export volume to Japan stood at 125,300 cu m.
China, the fourth largest supplier of plywood to Japan, shipped 9,300 cu m in August, which was substantially lower from 12,100 cu m in July. In 8m2024, China’s total shipments to Japan was 87,300 cu m.
“The volume of (Japan’s) August plywood (HS441210-39) imports was 129,826 cu m, and this was around the same level imported in July. Year-on-year, the volume of August plywood volume was down 8% but compared to a month earlier, August imports volume was up 20%.
“In August, plywood arrivals from China and Vietnam were down compared to levels in July while arrivals from Malaysia rose month-on-month. August arrivals from Indonesia were at around the same level in July,” said International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) Tropical Timber Market Report (October 16-31, 2024).
As in previous month, of the various categories of plywood imported in August, most was HS441231. Of total shipments from Malaysia and Indonesia, over 90 per cent was HS441231. Shipments from China were more varied, with HS441233 and HS441239 accounting for around 40 per cent each of August shipments, and HS441231 accounting for most of the balance.
“Shippers in Vietnam supplied mainly HS441231 (69%), with HS441234 making up most of the balance. Other shippers appearing in Japan’s plywood import statistics in August included Finland and Latvia,” said the ITTO report.
On assembled wooden flooring (HS441871-79), the report said after two consecutive months of increases, the value of Japan’s imports in August fell by 15 per cent from July, and this brought the value of August imports down to the level seen in May.
“As in previous months, the main category of assembled flooring imports was HS441875, accounting for 72% of the total value of assembled flooring imports, slightly up from the previous month. The second largest category in terms of value was HS441879 (8%), followed by HS441874 (4%).
“Of HS441875 imports, 45% was provided by shippers in China, 25% by shippers in Vietnam and 17% from shippers in Italy.
Two other countries shipping assembled flooring (HS441875) to Japan in August were Thailand and Malaysia.
“The value of August arrivals of assembled wooden flooring (in Japan) was little changed from the value in August 2023,” according to the ITTO report..
In August 2024, Japan spent about RM5.51 million in the imports of assembled wooden flooring (HS441873-79).
