TOKYO: Japanese import of North American logs has dropped 10.8% in 2014. It was 3,047 M cbms Log import in 2013 increased by 14% than 2012 due to rush-in import before the consumption tax hike so 2014 volume dropped compared to active import in 2013.
In the first half of 2014, Japanese demand was hot and orders increased and the supply could not catch up busy demand but in the second half, the demand sharply decreased and import volume dropped clearly. At the beginning of last year, general forecast was reactionary drop of demand related to the increase of consumption tax should not be so much but foresight went wrong and the market struggled with heavy inventories in weak demand. Japanese sawmills and plywood mills could not buy until their inventories decreased so the purchase volume dropped. By unloading port, Kure and Kashima, where Chugoku Lumber has sawmills, remain top and second but the volume for Kure decreased by 20.7% from 2013 and the volume for Kashima also declined by 7.5%.