Page 9 - FDMAsia MayJun 2025

MARKET BEATS 7
www.fdmasia.com | FDM ASIA MAY/JUN 2025

Wood Industry In New ports and railways were nearing completion,” he said.

He said most of the New Zealand timber exported to
Zealand Grapples With China was used on construction sites for concrete-casting
Challenges And Concerns (boxing), a technique used in 60 percent of the country’s

multi-storey builds.
New Zealand’s timber industry braces for tough times Since 2019, New Zealand’s isolating export log prices have
A construction industry crash in China is sending shockwaves occasionally “come back” to sub-$100 per cubic metre from
through the timber trade. an average of $132.
“There’s elephants in the forest,” said Rotorua-based At the lower level, he said harvesting for most of the small
forestry consultant Jeff Tombleson, according to sunlive.co.nz. forests’ estate was not viable and because there was little or
China was by far the largest importer of New Zealand no domestic demand, they shut their gates.
logs—92 percent in the year to June last year. But Tombleson In his 50-year forestry career he has not witnessed such
said it had been “throttling back” on the quantity taken since a “negative outlook” for the industry.

China’s property market started contracting in 2021. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade report released in
“Mega-infrastructure projects there such as new cities, December 2024 said property investment in China fell 10.2

ROOTED IN EXCELLENCE. DRIVEN TO SERVE.

ENQUIRY NO. 802