Developments in China's domestic timber supplyFriday 22 May 2026 China’s domestic timber supply is becoming an increasingly important factor in the country’s log market and is beginning to influence demand for imports. For many years, imported logs and sawn timber dominated because local supply was limited while demand from China’s rapidly expanding construction and manufacturing sectors remained strong.This situation is now changing. Following heavy harvesting in northeast China, the government introduced widespread logging bans in natural forests and began investing heavily in plantation forests to improve long-term timber self-sufficiency. Most of this expansion has occurred in southern China, particularly in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces.  Domestic timber production has increased from around 100 million m³ in 2020 to nearly 140 million m³ in 2024, with the southeast now accounting for more than half of total supply. While much of the plantation estate consists of Eucalyptus, which is mainly used for pulp and panel products, large areas of Masson pine and Chinese fir have also been established. These species are more directly relevant to imported softwood markets. China’s softwood plantation resource remains relatively young, suggesting domestic supply will continue to increase as forests mature. However, plantation productivity remains well below that of New Zealand and other major forestry regions. Chinese pine and fir plantations typically produce smaller and lower-quality logs due to slower growth rates, shorter rotations, poorer stem form, and quality issues such as high resin content. As a result, domestic timber is mainly competing in lower-value applications such as reconstituted wood products, lower-grade construction timber, and core veneer. Imported radiata pine still maintains a competitive advantage in higher-quality applications, although competition for smaller-diameter and lower-grade logs is increasing. The expansion of China’s domestic timber supply is therefore likely to reshape market dynamics by widening price differences between high- and low-quality logs and increasing market segmentation. These developments will have important implications for forest management, log marketing, and forest valuation in exporting countries such as New Zealand. For more information visit alphametrik.com Source & chart credit: Alphametrik  |
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