Total consumption of non-coniferous sawnwood in the Asia-Pacific increased 152% from 20 million m3 in 1962 to 50 million m3 in 1992, while its region's share of the world total rose from 25% to 43% (Table 30). The consumption grew faster in India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Republic of Korea, and Pakistan, while it declined in Japan, Australia and the Philippines. In 1992, the leading consumers were India with 15 million m3, China with 9, Indonesia with 8, Japan with 5, and Thailand with 3 million m3.
India registered the fastest growth in consumption during the late 1970s and early 1980s. By 1992, India's consumption accounted for nearly 30% of the region's total. While Indonesia's consumption began to rise in the mid-1970s, the trend changed after the government banned log exports in 1980 and sawnwood exports in 1989. Between 1980 and 1992, consumption doubled from 4 million m3 to 8 million m3.
In Malaysia, consumption was cyclic during the 1980s, and fell from 4 to 2 million m3 between 1983 and 1987. Since then, it has recovered gradually and climbed back to 39 million m3 in 1992. Non-coniferous consumption in China increased at a faster rate since the economic reform started in 1978, and topped at 11 million m3 in 1988. After that, however, the consumption began to fall and was about 9 million m3 in 1992.
Japan's non-coniferous sawnwood consumption experienced tremendous changes over the last three decades. During the 1960s and early 1970s, Japan had a fast growth in consumption corresponding to the rapid post-war economic growth. By 1973 total consumption had reached 12 million m3. Since the oil crisis, however, consumption began to decline steadily, and by 1992 it dropped back to 5 million m3, or 13% less than in 1962. The reduction in hardwood sawnwood consumption was due mainly to the competition with softwood species.
Table 30. Consumption of non-coniferous sawnwood, in thousand m3, 1962-1992.
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
Australia |
2481 |
2790 |
2312 |
1610 |
Bangladesh |
295 |
116 |
204 |
84 |
Bhutan |
0 |
0 |
6 |
40 |
Cambodia |
59 |
43 |
43 |
50 |
China |
3736 |
5833 |
8813 |
9061 |
Fiji |
26 |
39 |
62 |
51 |
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong |
255 |
167 |
434 |
407 |
India |
1465 |
4384 |
11299 |
14956 |
Indonesia |
1745 |
1567 |
5580 |
7589 |
Japan |
5337 |
11272 |
6701 |
4638 |
Korea Dem People's Rep |
95 |
95 |
95 |
95 |
Korea Rep |
178 |
535 |
960 |
1492 |
Laos |
11 |
13 |
15 |
7 |
Macau |
3 |
5 |
3 |
14 |
Malaysia |
1140 |
1987 |
3297 |
3911 |
Myanmar |
423 |
561 |
618 |
-27 |
Nepal |
208 |
216 |
220 |
620 |
New Caledonia |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
New Zealand |
100 |
69 |
60 |
66 |
Pakistan |
56 |
109 |
121 |
1006 |
Papua New Guinea |
25 |
136 |
57 |
70 |
Philippines |
835 |
1181 |
609 |
392 |
Samoa |
6 |
26 |
31 |
23 |
Singapore |
11 |
386 |
482 |
218 |
Solomon Islands |
3 |
6 |
8 |
8 |
Sri Lanka |
129 |
37 |
28 |
25 |
Thailand |
824 |
2059 |
1257 |
2855 |
Tonga |
0 |
0 |
13 |
5 |
Vanuatu |
0 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
Viet Nam |
400 |
454 |
338 |
757 |
Asia Pacific |
19851 |
34095 |
43672 |
50031 |
World |
78875 |
99301 |
109687 |
115809 |
Share |
25% |
34% |
40% |
43% |
Table 31 shows the production of non-coniferous sawnwood, by country and territory, between 1962 and 1992. The total production in the region grew steadily from 21 million m3 in 1962 to 53 million m3 in 1989, while its world share rose from 26% to 42%. This growth in production was due to increased demand for tropical hardwood sawnwood from consumers within and outside the region, mostly Thailand, Japan and the European Union. However, since 1990, production has decreased especially in Indonesia, Japan, China, Philippines, and the Republic of Korea. By 1992, the region's share of world production had decreased to 39 %.
Table 31. Production of non-coniferous sawnwood, in thousand m3, 1962-1992.
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
Australia |
2428 |
2579 |
2079 |
1464 |
Bangladesh |
295 |
116 |
203 |
79 |
Bhutan |
0 |
0 |
6 |
40 |
Cambodia |
71 |
43 |
43 |
122 |
China |
3778 |
6012 |
8576 |
7865 |
Fiji |
28 |
40 |
63 |
51 |
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong |
|
|
|
|
India |
1447 |
4384 |
11295 |
14960 |
Indonesia |
1750 |
1674 |
6802 |
8300 |
Japan |
5538 |
10929 |
6057 |
3106 |
Korea Dem People's Rep |
95 |
95 |
95 |
95 |
Korea Rep |
168 |
541 |
857 |
703 |
Laos |
12 |
48 |
22 |
110 |
Macau |
|
|
|
|
Malaysia |
1696 |
3729 |
6307 |
9300 |
Myanmar |
522 |
670 |
722 |
282 |
Nepal |
180 |
210 |
210 |
|
New Caledonia |
5 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
New Zealand |
71 |
56 |
46 |
57 |
Pakistan |
50 |
85 |
7 |
926 |
Papua New Guinea |
27 |
146 |
78 |
74 |
Philippines |
958 |
1412 |
1200 |
448 |
Samoa |
1 |
30 |
21 |
21 |
Singapore |
21 |
828 |
229 |
20 |
Solomon Islands |
3 |
5 |
15 |
16 |
Sri Lanka |
126 |
37 |
21 |
5 |
Thailand |
917 |
1952 |
911 |
1077 |
Tonga |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Vanuatu |
0 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
Viet Nam |
400 |
451 |
338 |
747 |
Asia Pacific |
20587 |
36082 |
46210 |
49877 |
World |
79174 |
99962 |
109712 |
128915 |
Share |
26% |
36% |
42% |
39% |
In 1992, the major producers of non-coniferous sawnwood were India with 15 million m3, Malaysia with 9, Indonesia and China with 8, and Japan with 3 million m3. Malaysia remains the major producer of tropical sawnwood. Both Thailand and the Philippines were producing significant quantities of sawnwood from imported tropical logs, even though production in both countries dropped sharply in 1993, corresponding to a log ban in Sabah, Malaysia (Johnson, 1995).
The imports and exports of non-coniferous sawnwood are in Tables 32 and 33. The Asia-Pacific region imported 7 million m3 and exported almost 8 million m3 in 1992, or 43% and 48% of global imports and exports. Thailand led all countries in imports with 1.8 million m3, a 425% increase from 1982, followed by Japan with 1.6 and China with 1.4 million m3. Singapore and the Republic of Korea imported almost 1 million m3 each. Thailand's logging ban, together with its fast growing economy and large furniture and secondary processing industry, are the main reasons for expanded imports. The principal source is Malaysia (74%), followed by Viet Nam and Laos which together account for 24% (Table 34).
Table 32. Imports of non-coniferous sawnwood, in thousand m3, 1962-1992.
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
Australia |
127 |
241 |
273 |
163 |
Bangladesh |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
Bhutan |
|
|
|
|
Cambodia |
|
|
|
|
China |
1 |
4 |
293 |
1423 |
Fiji |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
Hone Kong |
52 |
51 |
163 |
248 |
India |
19 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
Indonesia |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Japan |
15 |
425 |
678 |
1551 |
Korea Dem People's Rep |
|
|
|
|
Korea Rep |
10 |
12 |
108 |
792 |
Laos |
3 |
5 |
3 |
14 |
Macau |
3 |
5 |
3 |
14 |
Malaysia |
28 |
60 |
81 |
28 |
Myanmar |
|
|
|
|
Nepal |
|
|
|
|
New Caledonia |
|
|
|
|
New Zealand |
29 |
19 |
17 |
12 |
Pakistan |
6 |
24 |
114 |
80 |
Papua New Guinea |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Philippines |
|
|
|
|
Samoa |
5 |
4 |
16 |
2 |
Singapore |
0 |
356 |
1118 |
923 |
Solomon Islands |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Sri Lanka |
3 |
0 |
7 |
20 |
Thailand |
1 |
165 |
347 |
1822 |
Tonga |
0 |
0 |
12 |
5 |
Vanuatu |
|
|
|
|
Viet Nam |
0 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
Asia Pacific |
306 |
1376 |
3239 |
7115 |
World |
4460 |
8166 |
11328 |
16517 |
Share |
7% |
7% |
29% |
43% |
Japan's imports also more than doubled between 1982 and 1992, from 678 thousand m3 to 1.6 million m3. In 1992, imports accounted for one-third of Japan's consumption. Increased wooden housing starts, a decline in log availability and increasing prices for both logs and substitute materials are responsible for the increase. Japan's main import source has historically been Indonesia until 1990, when the volume was radically reduced. Other important suppliers during the 1980s included Malaysia and the Philippines. As shown in Table 34, in 1992, Japan obtained nearly 41% of its non-coniferous sawnwood from Malaysia, 23% from Indonesia, 9% from China, and more than 25% from outside the Asia-Pacific, mostly from North America.
Prior to the late 1970s, China was generally self-sufficient in non-coniferous sawnwood, and imports were negligible. With the increased consumption and decline in production, import requirements have risen sharply from 293 thousand m3 in 1982 to 1.4 million m3 in 1992. Of the 1992's volume, Indonesia supplied 32%, Malaysia 30% and the United States 21 %.
The European Union has been the main outside importer of Asian-Pacific non-coniferous sawnwood. In 1992, the total imports of EU were 1.5 million m, or one-fifth of the region's total exports. Continued economic stagnation in many of Western European countries along with growing environmental concerns contributed to a decline in European consumption of tropical sawnwood in the last few years.
Table 33. Exports of non-coniferous sawnwood, in thousand m3, 1962-1992.
Country |
1962 |
1972 |
1982 |
1992 |
Australia |
74 |
30 |
40 |
17 |
Bangladesh |
|
|
|
|
Bhutan |
|
|
|
|
Cambodia |
12 |
0 |
0 |
72 |
China |
43 |
183 |
56 |
227 |
Fiji |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
French Polynesia |
|
|
|
|
Hong Kong |
17 |
9 |
48 |
262 |
India |
1 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
Indonesia |
8 |
107 |
1222 |
711 |
Japan |
216 |
82 |
34 |
19 |
Korea Dem People's Rep |
|
|
|
|
Korea Rep |
0 |
18 |
5 |
3 |
Laos |
1 |
35 |
7 |
103 |
Macau |
|
|
|
|
Malaysia |
584 |
1802 |
3091 |
5417 |
Myanmar |
99 |
109 |
104 |
309 |
Nepal |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
New Caledonia |
|
|
|
|
New Zealand |
0 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
Pakistan |
|
|
|
|
Papua New Guinea |
2 |
10 |
21 |
4 |
Philippines |
123 |
231 |
591 |
56 |
Samoa |
0 |
8 |
6 |
0 |
Singapore |
10 |
798 |
865 |
725 |
Solomon Islands |
0 |
0 |
7 |
8 |
Sri Lanka |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Thailand |
94 |
58 |
1 |
44 |
Tonga |
|
|
|
|
Vanuatu |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Viet Nam |
|
|
|
|
Asia Pacific |
1287 |
3493 |
6104 |
7988 |
World |
4759 |
8827 |
11353 |
16622 |
Share |
27% |
40% |
54% |
48% |
The Asia-Pacific region's exports of non-coniferous sawnwood rose rapidly over the last decades from 1.3 million m3 in 1962 to 8 million m3 in 1992, with a peak of 10 million m3 in 1989 or 57% of global exports. In the latter part of 1989, however, the Indonesia government levied heavy taxes on sawnwood exports, which reduced Indonesia's exports. Prior to 1989, Malaysia and Indonesia were the two main exporters of the region. By volume, Malaysia exported more than 51% of the region's total, and Indonesia 27%. Since 1989, Malaysia has continued to dominate the trade in non-coniferous sawnwood, with 5.4 million m3 exported in 1992 constituting 68% of total Asia-Pacific exports. In contrast, Indonesia's exports dropped to 711 thousand m3, or about only 9% in 1992. Table 28 shows that Indonesia's exports in 1992 were 1.3 million m3, which is much larger than the number in Table 33. This inconsistency may be because some of Indonesia's exports to Singapore were re-exported, and in the FAO's data (Table 33), re-exported volumes were included in Singapore's total. One can note that the number for Singapore in Table 34 is significantly less than the one in Table 33.
Table 34. Direction of trade in non-coniferous sawnwood, in thousand m3, 1992.
Of the region's total exports, over 72% went to countries within the region, and one-fifth went to the European Union, primarily the Netherlands and UK. Malaysia's major non-coniferous sawnwood customers are Thailand, the European Union, Japan, China, Republic of Korea, and Singapore. For Indonesia, the leading importers include Japan, China, the European Union, and Singapore.