PLYWOOD INDUSTRY

IN JAPAN

Japan Plywood Manufacturers Association

(ITTO/FAO,ICTP)
Sheet.1 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Situation of Wood Supply and Demand in Japan

z Total wood demand in 2004 : 90,028.000m3 (log equivalent)
z Breakdown : 40% for sawn timber, 15% for plywood, 42%
for pulp/chip and 3% for others
z Supply : domestic wood 19%, 16,766.000m3, imported
wood 81%, 73,262 .000m3
z Breakdown of imported wood : USA&CANADA 25%,
Indonesia,Malaysia,PNG&SOLOMON Is 16% , RUSSIA 10%,
Europe 8 % and Others 41 %
Others
3%

Sawn
Pulp Timber
/Chip 40%
Wood Demand Imported Wood
42% 73,262,000m3
90,028,000m3

Plywood
15%
Sheet.2 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Plywood Supply and Housing New Starts

z Some 90% of the plywood supply is used in the housing
sector
z The plywood supply is falling due to the decrease of
housing new starts
000m3 000 houses
12,000 1,707 1,800
11,000 1,600
10,000 9,606 1,400
1,189 1,200
9,000
8,089 1,000 Plywood Supply
8,000
800
7,000
600 Housing New
6,000 400 Starts
5,000 200
4,000 0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 Year
Sheet.3 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Breakdown of Plywood Supply

by Country
z The supply of imported plywood in 2004 was 17 times
higher than the level recorded in 1985
z The supply of domestic plywood in 2004 showed a 53% fall
compared to the level recorded in1985

000m3

7000

6000
Domestic
5000 Imports
Imports
Indonesia
4000 Malaysia
3000 China
2000 Canada
Others
1000

0 Year
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004
Sheet.4 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Self-Sufficiency in Plywood Supply

z Self-Sufficiency(%) = Domestic SupplyTotal Supply100
z The self-sufficiency declined from 96% in 1985 to 39%
in 2004

Self-Sufficiency in Plywood Supply

120% 96%
100%

80%
39%
60%

40%
20%

0%
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004
Year
Sheet 5 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Domestic Plywood Production

by Thickness

z Increased production ratio of thick plywood

z Thick plywood of 12 mm or more in domestic production
ratio from 55% in 1985 to 79% in 2004

Domestic Production Volume

000m3 Ratio of Thick Plywood 79
of Plywood by Thickness
4,500 %
4,000 85%
Less 3mm
3,500 80%
3,000 3-6mm 75%
2,500 70% 55
2,000 6-12mm
65% %
1,500 12mm or 60%
1,000 more
500 55%
0 50%
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 Year 1985 1990 1995 2000 2004
Year
Sheet 6 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Domestic Plywood Production

by Softwood and Hardwood
z Increased production of softwood plywood
z Softwood plywood in domestic production ratio from 2% in
1985 to 68% in 2004

000m3 6,692 6,738

7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000 3,149
Hardwood
3,000 Softwood
2,000 2%
1,000 68%
0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 Year
Sheet 7 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Log Consumption for Plywood Production

z The log consumption for plywood production in 2004 was
4,994,000 m3 of which imported logs and domestic logs
accounted for 89% and 11% respectively.
z Decrease of Indonesia,Malaysia,PNG&Solomon Is. logs and
increase of Russia logs in recent years
Log Consumption for Plywood Production
000m3
12,000
10,000 O hers

8,000 R ussia
6,000 4,99
Indonesia,M alaysia,
4,000
P N G &S olom on Is.
2,000 D om estic
0 Domestic
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 Year 11%
Sheet 8 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Change of Number of Plywood Factories

z The total number of plywood factories fell from 554 in 1985
to 286 in 2004.

Historical Change of Number of Plywood Factories

Factory 554
600
500
286 Veneer Factory
400
300 Secondary Processing
Plywood Factory
200 Plywood Factory
100
0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2004 Year
Sheet 9 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Plywood Imports by Thickness

z Plywood imports in 2004 totalled 4,941,000 m3 . By
thickness, those of less than 3 mm accounted for 8%,
3 6 mm for 9%, 6 12 mm for 68% and 12 mm or more
for 15%.

Less than
12mm or
3mm
more
8%
15%
3-6mm
9%

Plywood
Imports
4,941,000m3

6-12mm
68%
Sheet 10 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Plywood Imports from Indonesia

z Out of the total plywood imports of 4,941,000 m3 in 2004,

Indonesia accounted for 2,424,000 m3 or 49%.

000m3 Plywood Import from Indonesia 12mm or Less than

more 3mm
15% 15%
5,000 49
4,000 %
3-6mm
3,000 Others 13%
2,424,000m3
2,000 Indonesia

1,000
6-12mm
0 57%
1,985 1,990 1,995 2,000 2,004 Year
Sheet 11 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Plywood Imports from Malaysia

z Out of the total plywood imports of 4,941,000 m3 in 2004,

Malaysia accounted for 1,995,000 m3 or 40%.

Less than
000m3 Plywood Import
from Malaysia
12mm or 3mm
more 3-6mm
1%
5,000 11% 4%
40%
4,000

3,000
Others
Malaysia
1,995,000m3
2,000

1,000 6-12mm
84%
0
1,985 1,990 1,995 2,000 2,004 Year
Sheet 12 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Plywood Imports from China

z Out of the total plywood imports of 4,941,000 m3 in 2004,

China accounted for 334,000 m3 or 7%.

000m3 Plywood Import from China

12mm or Less than
5,000 3mm
more
12% 11%
4,000
Others 3-6mm
3,000 China 9%
334,000m3
2,000

1,000 7%
6-12mm
0 68%
1,985 1,990 1,995 2,000 2,004 Year
Sheet 13 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Supply Volumes of Plywood, Fibre Board

and Particle Board in Recent Years
z No significant change of the total supply volumes of
plywood, fibre board and particle board has taken place.
000m3
6,000

5,000

4,000
Domestic Plywood
3,000 Imported Plywood
Fibreboard
2,000 Particle Board

1,000

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Year
Sheet 14 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Business Price Index for Plywood and Logs in

Recent Years (Compiled by the Bank of Japan)
z The price index for domestic plywood has been steady.
z The price index for imported plywood has shown many
fluctuations.
z The price index for domestic logs has shown a declining trend.
z The price index for lauan logs has shown many fluctuations.

120.0
Imported Plywood

110.0

100.0 Domestic Plywood

Domestic Lauan Log
Plywood Imported Plywood
90.0 Domestic Log
Lauan Log
80.0
Domestic Log

70.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Year
Sheet 15 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Number of Housing New Starts

by Structure in Recent Years

z The ratio of new wooden houses has been steady around

53%.

000houses

1,400
1,189
1,200
Others
1,000 Steel/RC
Steel Framed
800
RC
600 Wooden

400

200 53%
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Year
Sheet 16 (ITTO/FAO,ICTP)

Primary Tasks for Plywood Industry

z Improved plywood performance to maximise housing

value
Especially improvement of the earthquake resistance,
fire resistance, durability, workability and designability

z Contribution to the efficient use of forest resources in

the world by promoting the effective utilisation of poor
quality logs and logs from hitherto unused species as
raw materials for plywood