Forestry production and trade for the March 2007 Quarter1
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Overview
Roundwood removals, an indicator of export and domestic processing levels, decreased for a second consecutive quarter in the March 2007 quarter. This followed increases in roundwood removals in the June and September 2006 quarters. The decrease in the March 2007 quarter was in part due to the New Zealand dollar strengthening during the March quarter, up 2.6 percent on the previous quarter (Reserve Bank New Zealand, Trade Weighted Index).
Domestic production followed the usual seasonal patterns – decreasing for all products in the March 2007 quarter.
Production
The main changes between the March 2007 quarter and the December 2006 quarter were decreases in production of all forestry products. Compared to the March 2006 quarter the major changes were an increase in roundwood removals and decreases in the production of paper and paperboard, and fibreboard.
Roundwood
March 2007 quarter roundwood removals were down 8.4 percent, to 4 681 000 cubic metres, on the December 2006 quarter. This follows the usual seasonal pattern with domestic production falling over the holiday period.
Roundwood removals for the March 2007 quarter were up on the March 2006 quarter by 13.3 percent, mostly because of an increase in the volume of logs exported.
Paper and paperboard
The production of paper and paperboard in the March 2007 quarter was down to 199 000 tonnes, a decrease of 7.6 percent on the December 2006 quarter. This was a decrease of 13.5 percent on the March 2006 quarter and of 9.7 percent between the March 2007 year and March 2006 years. The decommissioning of a paper machine at the end of July 2006 resulted in lower paper and paperboard production capacity.
Fibreboard
The volume of fibreboard produced in the March 2007 quarter was down 5.1 percent on production in the December 2006 quarter and down 21.1 percent on the March 2006 quarter. In mid-September 2006 a fire suspended the production of fibreboard at one of the mills. It has since been announced that the part of the plant destroyed by fire will not be rebuilt.
Table 1: Production volumes
| March 2007 quarter (000) |
Change from December 2006 quarter (%) |
Change from March 2006 quarter (%) |
March 2007 year (000) |
Change from March 2006 year (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roundwood (m3) | 4 681 | – 8.4 | 13.3 | 19 804 | 5.4 |
| Sawn timber (m3) | 1 013 | – 5.6 | 5.4 | 4 321 | 1.7 |
| Wood pulp (t) | 378 | – 2.7 | 5.9 | 1 522 | – 2.5 |
| Paper and paperboard (t) | 199 | – 7.6 | – 13.5 | 849 | – 9.7 |
| Fibreboard (m3) | 175 | – 5.1 | – 21.1 | 829 | – 8.5 |
| Veneer (m3) | 158 | – 6.3 | 0.5 | 693 | 4.2 |
| Plywood (m3) | 96 | – 4.8 | 4.2 | 414 | 2.4 |
| Particleboard (m3) | 64 | – 1.4 | 27.6 | 254 | 6.6 |
Exports2
The most significant changes in exports between the March 2007 quarter and the December 2006 quarter were decreases in export volumes and values of logs and poles, sawn timber and wood pulp.
Compared to the March 2006 quarter, March 2007 quarter exports volumes were down for most products, except logs and poles, and particleboard. Most export values also fell except those for logs and poles, and wood pulp. Particleboard values stayed the same.
Logs and poles
The volume of logs and poles exported during the March 2007 quarter fell 17.7 percent on the December 2006 quarter to 1.4 million cubic metres, down 44.4 percent on the March 2006 quarter. The value of the logs and poles exported in the March 2007 quarter was NZ$167 million, down 6.0 percent on the December 2006 quarter, but up 80.9 percent on the March 2006 quarter. This significant increase in value is due to an increase in both volumes and export log prices.
In the March 2007 year, the volume of logs exported rose 18.5 percent on the March 2006 year. Exports to Korea, our largest log export destination, increased 16.6 percent from the March 2006 year while those to China, our second-largest log export destination, increased 36.8 percent.
Export log prices have been increasing steadily with the four-quarter average for the March 2007 quarter up NZ$19 on the March 2006 quarter and up NZ$7 on the December 2006 quarter, its highest level since March 2003 (Log price series, MAF). These log price increases are the result of several factors, but export log taxes introduced by the Russian government are of particular importance. These are currently set at 6.5 percent and are likely to increase further. This will have the effect of raising international log prices.
Sawn timber
Export volumes of sawn timber in the March 2007 quarter were down 26.2 percent from the December 2006 quarter and down 5.2 percent on the March 2006 quarter, to 384 000 cubic metres.
March 2007 year export volumes increased 6.7 percent from the March 2006 year with an increase in value of 11.8 percent over the same period. This was mainly due to increases in export volumes in the June and September 2006 quarters compared to the same quarters in 2005.
Wood pulp
March 2007 quarter wood pulp export volumes were down 20.3 percent (to 194 000 tonnes) on December 2006 quarter volumes. Wood pulp export values also fell, down 19.2 percent to NZ$142 million. Volumes and values fell for both mechanical and chemical pulp exports.
Wood pulp export volumes for the March 2007 quarter fell 12.4 percent compared with the March 2006 quarter, largely because of a 34.8 percent decrease in mechanical pulp exports as chemical pulp exports fell only 1.6 percent. Export values rose 7.3 percent over the same period due to an increase in the value of chemical pulp exports.
March 2007 year wood pulp export values rose 24.5 percent on March 2006 year despite a fall of 5.1 percent in export volumes for the same period.
Fibreboard
Export volumes of fibreboard for the March 2007 quarter were down 18.9 percent on the December 2006 quarter and 31.4 percent on the March 2006 quarter to 121 000 cubic metres. Export values for the March 2007 quarter fell 16.3 percent on the December 2006 quarter and 21.2 percent on the March 2006 quarter. These decreases reflect a fall in production due to a fire at one of the fibreboard manufacturers.
Table 2: Quarterly export volumes
| March 2007 quarter (000) |
Change from December 2006 quarter (%) |
Change from March 2006 quarter (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logs and poles (m3) | 1 393 | – 17.7 | 44.4 |
| Sawn timber (m3) | 384 | – 26.2 | – 5.2 |
| Wood pulp (t) | 194 | – 20.3 | – 12.4 |
| Fibreboard (m3) | 121 | – 18.9 | – 31.4 |
| Plywood (m3) | 16 | – 36.0 | – 28.3 |
| Particleboard (m3) | 29 | – 1.3 | 32.6 |
Table 3: Quarterly export values
| March 2007 quarter (NZ$ 000) |
Change from December 2006 quarter (%) |
Change from March 2006 quarter (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logs and poles | 167 032 | 6.0 | 80.9 |
| Sawn timber | 156 585 | – 24.0 | – 2.1 |
| Wood pulp | 142 386 | – 19.2 | 7.3 |
| Fibreboard | 46 750 | – 16.3 | – 21.2 |
| Plywood | 26 490 | – 10.9 | – 19.1 |
| Particleboard | 12 586 | – 6.2 | 0.1 |
Table 4: Annual exports
| Export volume | Export value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2007 year (000) |
Change from March 2006 year (%) |
March 2007 year (NZ$ 000) |
Change from March 2006 year (%) | |
| Logs and poles (m3) | 6 005 | 18.5 | 637 985 | 42.9 |
| Sawn timber (m3) | 1 939 | 6.7 | 804 771 | 11.8 |
| Wood pulp (t) | 810 | – 5.1 | 594 622 | 24.5 |
| Paper and paperboard (t) | 561 | – 17.7 | 511 299 | – 6.0 |
| Panel products (m3) | 994 | – 6.0 | 451 476 | – 11.1 |
| Other forestry products | – | – | 560 575 | 19.9 |
| Total exports | – | – | 3 560 728 | 12.6 |
Imports3
In the March 2007 year, the import volumes of all forestry products except panel products decreased from the March 2006 year. The volume of panel products imported was up 41.2 percent over the same period. Imports of panel products from Australia increased 56.0 percent to become the largest proportion of imports, while those from China increased 33.7 percent between the March 2006 and March 2007 years.
Imports of paper and paperboard fell 1.0 percent while imports of sawn timber decreased 12.2 percent between the March 2006 and March 2007 years.
The value of all forestry imports in the March 2007 year rose 7.3 percent from the March 2006 year. This was mainly due to an increase in the value of the dominant imported forestry product, paper and paperboard, up 6.7 percent. The value of furniture and furniture parts imports also rose 12.9 percent over the same period.
Table 5: Annual imports
| Import volume | Import value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2007 year (000) |
Change from March 2006 year (%) |
March 2007 year (NZ$ 000) |
Change from March 2006 year (%) | |
| Logs and poles (m3) | 5 | – 16.7 | 4 856 | – 0.5 |
| Sawn timber (m3) | 51 | – 12.2 | 62 305 | 5.5 |
| Wood pulp (t) | 4 | – 33.7 | 4 664 | – 19.7 |
| Paper and paperboard (t) | 486 | – 1.0 | 710 089 | 6.7 |
| Panel products (m3) | 51 | 41.2 | 42 047 | 22.7 |
| Furniture and furniture parts | – | – | 241 908 | 12.9 |
| Other forestry products | – | – | 396 925 | 4.7 |
| Total imports | – | – | 1 462 794 | 7.3 |
Notes
1. All production figures in this release are provisional; all March 2007 trade figures are provisional.
2. Export values are NZ$ free on board (fob) (the value of goods at New Zealand ports before export, includes cost of transport to port).
3. Import values are the NZ$ cost of goods including insurance and freight to New Zealand (cif).
Published by MAF Policy, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand
Tel: 64 4 894 0100
Fax: 64 4 894 0741
Web: www.maf.govt.nz
Email: stats_info@maf.govt.nz
Published July 2007
ISSN: 0114-5371
© Crown copyright 2007 – Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. This document may be copied providing its source is acknowledged.
While every effort has been made to ensure the information in this publication is accurate, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry does not accept any responsibility or liability for error of fact, omission, interpretation or opinion that may be present, nor for the consequences of any decisions based on this information.
CSV files
- Quarterly sawn timber production [6KB CSV]
- Annual sawn timber production [4KB CSV]
- Pulp production [4KB CSV]
- Paper and paperboard production [5KB CSV]
- Panel production [30KB CSV]
- Roundwood removals [27KB CSV]
- Log exports [10KB CSV]
- Hardwood chip exports [5KB CSV]
- Softwood chip exports [5KB CSV]
- Sawn timber exports [8KB CSV]
- Mechanical pulp exports [10KB CSV]
- Chemical pulp exports [7KB CSV]
- Fibreboard exports [9KB CSV]
- Plywood exports [6KB CSV]
- Particleboard exports [6KB CSV]
Contact for Enquiries
Monitoring and Evaluation
Innovation and Research Policy Directorate
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Email: stats_info@maf.govt.nz
Phone: 64 4 894 0100
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