China's timber imports showed a marked sequential recovery in March 2026, though year-on-year comparisons continued to reflect underlying demand softness. According to the latest customs data, total timber imports reached 4.678 million cubic meters in March, down 14.2% year-on-year but surging 45.5% from February. Import value stood at $1.0 billion, a 9.1% year-on-year decrease but a 44.3% month-on-month increase.
Segment Performance
Log imports in March reached 2.761 million cubic meters, down 12.8% year-on-year but up 53.8% from February. Import value grew 9.6% year-on-year and 56.2% month-on-month to $460 million. The average unit price for imported logs increased 3.7% year-on-year.
Sawnwood imports totaled 1.917 million cubic meters in March, a 16.2% year-on-year decrease but a 35.1% month-on-month increase. Import value fell 8.8% year-on-year to $540 million, while rising 35.5% month-on-month. The average import price for sawnwood extended its two-month growth trend, climbing 8.8% year-on-year.
Shifting Supply Landscape
Among the top ten timber suppliers to China in March, most saw increases in both volume and price, while New Zealand, Russia, the United States, and Belarus recorded declines.
New Zealand and Russia remained the top two suppliers, but imports fell 9.8% and 29.4%, respectively. Notably, imports from Russia dropped sharply from 1.284 million cubic meters in the same period last year to 907,000 cubic meters.
Thailand, Papua New Guinea, and Canada recorded year-on-year export increases of 3.6%, 15.1%, and 16.7%, respectively. Papua New Guinea's log exports to China surged more than threefold month-on-month-from just 51,400 cubic meters in February to 210,000 cubic meters in March-serving as the primary driver of that country's export growth to China.
The Republic of Congo turned in the strongest performance among top ten suppliers, with exports to China reaching 63,000 cubic meters, a 39% year-on-year increase-the highest growth rate among the top ten.
Other supplier performances: United States and Belarus saw export values decline 34.2% and 17.4% year-on-year, respectively; the Philippines recorded a 25.7% year-on-year increase; while Japan remained essentially flat with just 0.9% growth compared to the same period last year.
By Wood Type
Softwood imports fell 18.6% year-on-year to 3.017 million cubic meters in March, with average import prices declining 3.2% year-on-year. Softwood log and sawnwood imports totaled 2.036 million cubic meters and 981,000 cubic meters, respectively, down 12.1% and 29.5% year-on-year.
Performance varied by species:
- Eucalyptus log imports dropped sharply by 39.6%
- Okoume log imports grew just 50% year-on-year
- North American hardwood log imports fell 45.3%
- North American hardwood lumber imports increased 55.9%
- Meranti log imports from Papua New Guinea surged 135.2%
- Rubberwood imports from Thailand increased 3.4% year-on-year, with a significant 79.2% month-on-month rise from February; average export unit prices rose 8.8% year-on-year
First-Quarter Summary and Export Context
For the first quarter of 2026 (January-March), China's total timber imports reached 12.181 million cubic meters, a 12.4% year-on-year decrease. Import value stood at approximately $2.59 billion, down 9.4% year-on-year.
China's exports of timber and wood products also declined in March, falling 14.5% year-on-year, with cumulative first-quarter export growth slowing to 16%. By product category, plywood and similar multilayer board exports fell 11% year-on-year in March, though cumulative first-quarter exports grew 24% year-on-year. Wood products for household and decorative use weakened further, with March exports down 25.9% year-on-year and first-quarter cumulative exports down 1.8% year-on-year.
Outlook
The significant month-on-month rebound in March imports was primarily driven by seasonal factors, while the year-on-year decline reflects persistent weakness in actual market demand, with high costs serving as the main constraining factor. Looking ahead, the imported timber market will continue to face multiple competitive pressures, and market conditions may remain volatile in the short term.
Footnote (Data Sources)
This report is based on customs data releases from China's General Administration of Customs, as compiled and reported by industry trade publications including China Timber & Wood Products Distribution Association, Wood369, Yuzhu Timber, Lesprom Analytics, and ITTO's Tropical Timber Market Report. All comparisons reflect March 2026 data against March 2025 and February 2026 periods. First-quarter cumulative data covers January through March 2026.
