Eight months later, log trade between China and the United States is gradually returning to normal: Imports reached 894,000 cubic meters in the first half of 2026, with June’s volume alone recovering to more than 70 percent of pre-ban levels. Amid a mix of favorable policies and market fluctuations, the global flow of timber is quietly being reshaped.
 
Since the General Administration of Customs of China lifted the ban on U.S. log imports in November 2025, the recovery of log trade between China and the United States has remained a focal point of attention in the global timber market. Eight months later, as data for the first half of 2026 is gradually released, this important trade channel—which had been disrupted due to quarantine issues—is gradually returning to normal.

According to customs statistics, China’s total imports of timber from the United States reached 894,000 cubic meters in the first half of 2026, a 2% year-over-year decrease; the import value stood at $540 million, a 2% year-over-year increase. Notably, in June, log imports had already recovered to more than 70% of the level recorded during the same period in 2024, prior to the ban.

Looking at monthly import trends, the beginning of 2026 showed a pattern of initially declining followed by a rebound. In January, driven by the release of backlogged orders and urgent restocking needs, China imported 49,000 cubic meters of logs from the U.S.; in February, imports fell to 44,000 cubic meters due to the Spring Festival.

The market turning point came in April. That month, total timber imports from the U.S. reached 185,000 cubic meters, up 23.6% year-on-year and 44.5% month-on-month; among these, log arrivals rebounded to 106,000 cubic meters, marking a year-on-year increase of 78.2% and ending the 13-month consecutive decline in U.S. timber exports to China.

However, this rebound was short-lived. In May, timber imports from the U.S. fell by 35% month-over-month, with log imports dropping by 43.4%. But the market shifted again in June: that month, timber imports from the U.S. surged by 665% year-over-year to 250,000 cubic meters, setting a new high for the year; log imports reached 173,000 cubic meters, accounting for 69% of the total and also marking the peak for the year.

Market analysis indicates that during U.S. President Trump’s visit to China in May 2026, the two sides reached multiple agreements in the economic and trade sectors. According to reports, these consultations confirmed the continuation of agreements signed in 2025 and the resumption of purchases of various products, including logs, which may have driven the accelerated recovery in log imports in June.

However, positive signals at the policy level do not necessarily equate to a rapid rebound in trade. Analysts point out that, constrained by multiple factors, the continued recovery of U.S.-China timber trade remains uncertain, though it is likely to follow a moderate upward trend. For the global timber trade market, the gradual resumption of U.S.-China log trade has not only filled the domestic supply gap for high-end hardwoods but has also, to a certain extent, reshaped the flow of timber in the Pacific Rim region.