On March 22, 2016, the press conference of the 6th China Global Wood Trade Conference with the theme of “Journey to Wuhan, Journey to Future” was held successfully in Beijing. President Liu Nengwen from China Timber & Wood Products Distribution Association, President Tao Yiming from China Wood Importers Committee, Mr. Kaspars Rožkalns, Counsellor of Economic and Commercial Affairs, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Mr. Kai Merivuori, Managing Director of Finish Sawmills Association, Project Manager Mr. Jyrki Mantere of Wood from Finland, Mr. Gong Zehe, Head of Industrial Development Division of Hubei Provincial Forestry Bureau, Board Chairman Liu Guanghui and General Manager Luo Kan of Hubei Fuhan Wood Industry Co., Ltd., Board Chairman Wang Lijun and Deputy Chairman Xiao Tingzhu of Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co., Ltd., Director Xie Qi of “One Belt and One Road” Multimodal Transport Office, General Manager Qin Yuan of Kaidi Logistics Co., Ltd. as well as representatives from related representative institutions in China, China Wood Importers Committee and import and export companies participated in this conference.

President Tao Yiming pointed out in his welcome speech that China is not only a large developing country, but also the largest trade and consumption country of timber and wood products in the world. According to statistics, the import and export trade volume of China’s timber and wood products increased to USD74.64 billion in 2015 from USD35.07 billion in 2006, increased by 110% during the ten years; wood consumption also rose to 550 million m3 in 2015 from 337 million m3 in 2006, increased by 60% .

Despite of large economic downturn pressure in 2015, the timber import still stood at 82.64 million m3, falling by 6% on a year-on-year basis. For a long time in the future, China will witness sustainable growth in the demand for timber and wood products due to the fact that China is a country short of timber resources and the natural forest protection policy is put in place. Meanwhile, China’s per capita wood consumption is only 0.4 m3 per year, so there is still a long way to go before it reaches the world average wood consumption level of 0.7 m3 per year.

Ms. Shen Wei, Information and Statistics Consultant of China Wood Importers Committee under China Timber & Wood Products Distribution Association, put forward in the China Timer Market Report 2015 that affected by many factors, the prices of timbers imported by China in 2015 witnessed overall decline. Based on long-term monitoring and market observation, the future economic growth point will appear in the timber structure as well as the second decoration of existing residences and furniture updating. The construction of infrastructures in Central China is in full swing, and the development of new towns in rural areas and urban shantytowns transformation will drive the demands for furniture and home furnishing.

Division Head Gong Zehe introduced the unique regional advantage of Wuhan and developing timber industry. In recent years, the artificial board and furniture enterprises from the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and other places have been successively transferring to Hubei, which has strongly promoted the rapid development of the provincial timer industry. The furniture industry in Hubei is growing dramatically with the annual production value of its furniture industry up to RMB50 billion. At present, Hubei’s timber industry is in the development stage, featured with rising total demand, quality improvement, obvious contradiction between supply and demand and growing import demand. Gong sent out the kind invitations to the global timber and wood product enterprises and related institutions on behalf of Hubei Provincial Forestry Bureau and the provincial timber industry.

Board Chairman Liu Guanghui stated that Fuhan, a leading enterprise with a long history and long-term prospect in Hubei province and even the whole country, will spare no efforts to contribute to the “Made in China 2025” development strategy, proactively expand overseas timber trade business and make the global layout in the future, strengthen the support of international trade business for the timber industry, gradually upgrade itself from a self-lumbering and self-sales enterprise to an investment and financing trade one with integrating the industry through the fund platform, strongly promote the R&D upgrading of such new type of building materials as artificial board and structural wood, deeply boost the development and application of green and energy-saving buildings and set up a 100-billion-level international low-carbon hi-tech industrial park and national strategic timber reserve base. As the organizer of this conference, Fuhan Wood Industry also warmly welcomes the friends from all over the world to Wuhan, Hubei Province.

Ms. Wang Yiling, Marketing Director of Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co., Ltd., introduced the issues regarding the international timber outflow channel running through the whole Russia and extending from the east and west of Tomsk to Irkutsk, Yekaterinburg, Moscow and St. Petersburg respectively to be opened in 2016 and the first-grade timber wholesale market to be established in Yangluogang area.

General Manager Qin Yuan of Kaidi Logistics Co., Ltd. explained the biomass energy strategy of the domestic leading biomass energy enterprise---Sunshine Kaidi starting from a tree. Closely combining with the timber industry, low-carbon economy and environmental friendly energy projects are of great significance in achieving the goal of “Renaissance of the Great Power” and finally solving the fossil energy substitution issue and sustainable development of human beings.

Managing Director Kai Merivuori of Finish Sawmills Association announced to continuously strengthen cooperation in the 6th China Global Wood Trade Conference to be held on September 13 and 14 based on the project of Wood from Finland.

Mr. Kaspars Rožkalns from Investment and Development Agency of Latvia also announced that a larger scale of delegation will be organized this year to participate in the 6th China Global Wood Trade Conference on the basis of cooperation in 2015.

The 6th China Global Wood Trade Conference (GWT China), hosted by China Wood Importers Committee, Hubei FuhanWood Industry Co.,Ltd, supported by Hubei Forestry Bureau, Wuhan Asia-Europe Logistics Co.,Ltd, Kaidi New Energy Co. Ltd, Finnish Sawmills Association, Wood from Finland program, will be held in Wuhan during Sept. 13–14, 2016.

(Source: IHB)