China’s demand for raw materials such as timber has been increasing rapidly in tandem with continuous and rapid growth of its economic gross, the recognition of global processing center and the expansion of its export trade. However, the world’s forest resources are limited. Forest resources in most of developing countries still continue to decline although forest resources in the developed countries have risen at a little rate. The supply of industrial logs on international market has been around 100 million m3 to 120 million m3 for many years. The export of tropical industrial logs has shown a declining trend and fell 20.3% from 18.244 million m3 to 14.548 million m3 during 2000 to 2004. According to the statistics from ITTO, tropical timber exports of ITTO’s production countries reduced 28.6% from 16.943 million m3 to 12.10 million m3 during this period. It is very difficult to expand log exports which certainly will affect the balance of global timber market. Therefore, China will solve the supply and demand of timber by itself. It is unpractical and also impossible to only depend on importing. In view of above-mentioned, China will take the following policies and measures to offset the gap between supply and demand of future timber.

①Quicken the establishment of fast growing and high yielding plantation bases

At present the proportion of paper pulp, waste paper, paper and paper board, and paper products made from fiber timber has surged to 85% among all kinds of China’s exported wood products. These wood products can be made from fast growing small diameter timber. The development trend of the world’s forest products industry is that wood products made from fast growing small diameter timber (such as paper, paperboard, particle board and fiberboard) will replace wood products which must be made from large diameter timber (such as sawnwood, plywood, veneer and timber used for package, furniture making, construction and decoration). China has vast land suitable for the development of fast growing and high yielding plantation so that its demand for fiber timber will be met in a short time. China’s relevant department has planned to establish 9.2 million hectares of fast growing and high yielding plantation bases by 2010 and the proportion of timber from plantation will make up 60% of the supply of commercial timber by 2010 and further increase to 70% by 2020 which will meet the demand of domestic fiber timber on the whole.

②Endeavor to develop timber substitution products such as bamboo and straw and recycle urban waste wood

China has rich bamboo resources and ranks first in terms of bamboo production in the world. Relevant sector predicts that China’s bamboo production will be 25.63 million tons and the production of bamboo pulp will reach 6.247 million tons by 2010. It is predicted that 25 million m3 of timber will be substituted by bamboo.

China is one of the largest agricultural countries in the world. 700 million tons of straws can be produced annually, 200 million tons of which are from corn, jowar and cotton, 400 million tons of which are from wheat and rice, 100 million tons of which are from bean and oil plants. Calculated by relevant experts, 20 million m3 of wood-based panel will be made if 5% of straw volumes would be used to produce wood-based panel. However the volume of efficient use of these valuable straw resources is very limited up to now. Urban waste has been increasing in tandem with the development of rapid economy and urbanization since China’s reform and opening up. According to relevant statistics, 6 billion tons of urban waste can be produced annually in China. 60 million tons of which are waste wood. 8.5 million m3 of wood can be saved if 10% of urban waste wood would be recycled annually. At present it is quite prevalent that panel mills in many European countries produce particle board made from urban recycled waste wood. Urban waste wood has made up around 70% of total raw materials consumption. However, urban waste wood has been not exploited in China.

③Innovate processing technology and continue to develop timber substitution products made from large diameter timber

China is the largest production and consumption country of wood-based panel in the world. However, the production of plywood need to be further expanded compared with domestic demand, especially the production of non-veneer wood-based panels. In addition, the production of laminate timber, reconstituted veneer, composite floors、laminated floors, and wood-based panels made from bamboo and straws should be developed viewed from domestic resources, the potential of increase production of above-mentioned products is huge. These products can fill up the gap between supply and demand of timber.

④Optimize the mode of timber flows and make timber processing centralized

At present the mode of China’s timber flow features logs and the proportion of sawnwood is very small, which is the key factor of incapability of focus on processing. In addition, this kind of undeveloped timber flow not only increase transport cost but also is inconvenient to prevent insect and disease. It is inconvenient to collect and recycle wood residue due to scattered log processing of individual businessmen on the spot of log market. It is even more difficult to preserve and dry timber. Timber life for use will be shorten because timber without preservation and drying is processed to sawnwood and used directly. Therefore, local experts suggest that logs should be processed on the spot such as at ports (Manzhouli, Suifenhe, Erlian and Zhangjiagang) featuring log importing and large scale log processing zone should be built at timber distributing center, thus wood residue will be collected and recycled. In addition, not only transport cost will decrease but also is easy to focus on timber preservation and timber drying.

⑤Encourage qualified e

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