China cuts softwood lumber imports sharply in first four months of 2026

China’s timber imports remained below last year’s level in April, but the figures also point to a partial recovery from the weak start to 2026. Total imports reached 4.865 million m³, down 6.8% year-on-year, while the import value rose slightly to $1.06 billion. Compared with March, however, volumes increased by 4% and value by 6.3%, suggesting that demand had begun to improve after the first-quarter slowdown. The split between logs and lumber was clear. Log imports rose to 2.98 million m³, up 1.7% year-on-year and 7 ...