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Japan Wood Products Prices Dollar Exchange Rates of 15th Dec 2010 Japan Yen 83.44 Reports From Japan
According to the JLR, log shortages at the ports in Malaysia are severe and many ships are waiting for cargos. This, in turn is driving up demurrage and total shipping costs. Shipping companies are now asking US$47-48 per cu.m, up US$1 per cu.m from November. According to importers, loading time is normally one week, but due to log shortages it is currently 10-14 days. In Sabah, log export prices at Tawau port for mix serayah logs are at US$230-235 per cu.m FOB, up US$5-7 per cu.m from November. White serayah log prices fetched US$250 per cu.m FOB. Kapur prices gained US$5 per cu.m from a month ago to US$275-280 per cu.m FOB, while keruing log prices jumped US$20 per cu.m to US$260 per cu.m FOB. Keruing log prices for sawnwood (70-80 cm & up) fetched US$275-285 per cu.m FOB. In Sarawak, meranti regular log export prices at Tanjonmani port are at US$245 per cu.m FOB, gaining US$10 per cu.m from a month ago and US$65 per cu.m (up 27%) from the beginning of the year. Small meranti prices are at US$210 per cu.m FOB, up US$70 per cu.m (up 34%) from the beginning of the year, however, current asking prices are closer to US$215 per cu.m. Kapur log prices are at US$300 per cu.m FOB. According to JLR, the Japanese market for hardwood logs is firming after frenetic buying due to the strong Yen in recent months. In addition, some manufacturers have been rebuilding their stocks ahead of the rainy season in producer countries. Currently, the appreciation of Yen has eased but CIF prices have trended upwards since early November. Plywood mills in Japan utilising imported tropical hardwood logs have maintained their reduced production levels at around 70% of full capacity for more than a year. In Japan, CIF prices gained Yen 100 from November to Yen 7,200-7,300 per koku for Sarawak meranti regular logs and to Yen 6,100-6,200 per koku for small meranti logs. Super small meranti log prices stood at Yen 5,800-5,900 per koku, unchanged from November. Sharp fall of plywood imports from Malaysia October plywood imports amounted to 223,800 cu.m, the lowest level this year and around 40,000 cu.m less than the monthly average during 2010. The major cause for the overall fall is that plywood imports from Malaysia plummeted 42% compared to October last year. According to JLR, the main factors for the curtailed plywood supply are the log shortage and the appreciation of Malaysian currency against the US dollar. However, October plywood imports from Indonesia amounted to 72,000 cu.m, up 20.4% compared to October last year.
October housing starts improving from last year The seasonally adjusted housing starts fell from September 2010 by 2.9% to 813,000 in October 2010. Wood frame units were up by 5.3% over October last year and these constituted about 57% of the total housing starts in October 2010.
Forest Revitalisation Plan finalised Under the plan, the committee of performance and management, as well as four research committees will be established covering the fields of logistics, reformation of forest associations in promotion of forestry, training and education, processing, and marketing and utilisation of domestic forest resources/timber. According to the plan, 2,000-3,000 foresters, 2,000 forest business planners and 5,000 forest managers will be produced during the next ten years. In promoting the use of domestic forest resources, forest management plans and reforestation activities will be required from 2012 onwards. Low cost production and consolidation of the forest sector will be promoted according to the plan
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Source: ITTO' Tropical Timber Market Report |
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