China–Australia log trade struggles to regain former scale

China’s imports of Australian logs have staged only a partial recovery since trade resumed in 2023, with volumes and prices far below their pre-ban highs — reinforcing industry views that the most buoyant phase of the bilateral trade may have passed. In October 2020, China’s customs authorities suspended log imports from Queensland, a move that was later extended to other major producing regions including Victoria. The restrictions effectively halted shipments to what had been Australia’s largest log market. Trade formally resumed in May 2023. Yet the rebound has proved uneven and incomplete. Volumes recover ...