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Australia-Korea Forestry Trade
Australian forest product exports to the Republic of Korea are seeing significant growth from a total of $35 million in 1997-98 to $105 million in 2006-07. Korea is undergoing high levels of economic growth (4.8 per cent real gross domestic product growth in 2007) with the construction industry booming. Korea is Australia’s fourth largest forest products export market, although Australian exports are only a small percentage of the Korean market. There is significant potential for Australian forest product exports to Korea. Current trends include:
- In 2004-05 Korea imported roundwood totalling 7.6 million cubic metres from all sources, where Australia supplied 459 thousand cubic metres of this worth $28 million to the Australian economy. By 2006-07 Australia supplied 600 thousand cubic metres of roundwood worth $55 million, doubling the return to the Australian economy.
- Korea is projected to consume 12 thousand kilotons of paper and paperboard per annum by 2010. In 2005-06 Australia supplied 8.7 kilotons valued at $7.3 million.
- Woodchips to Korea have increased from 90 kilotons in 2005-06 to 182 kilotons in 2006-07, more than doubling the export value to $30 million.
The vast bulk of imports into Korea consist of roundwood, with demand for logs exceeding the supply potential from domestic forests. Nevertheless, Korea has a diverse timber market traditionally importing a wide variety of wood products. These markets also offer Australian forest product exporters considerable potential, especially with the high costs of producing timber products in Korea today.
Australian Forest Products Exports to Korea
| Australian Exports to Korea, 2006-2007 |
Quantity Unit
|
Quantity
|
Value ($m)
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Roundwood |
’000 m3
|
616.8
|
54.8
|
| Sawnwood | |||
| Coniferous Roughsawn |
’000 m3
|
13.7
|
2.5
|
| Broadleaved Roughsawn |
’000 m3
|
1.1
|
1.3
|
| Total Sawnwood (1) |
’000 m3
|
15.1
|
4.2
|
| Wood Based Panels | |||
| Particleboard |
’000 m3
|
3.8
|
0.9
|
| Medium Density Fibreboard (2) |
’000 m3
|
33.2
|
7.9
|
| Softboard and Other Fibreboards |
’000 m3
|
2.4
|
0.5
|
| Total Wood based panels (3) |
’000 m3
|
39.4
|
9.5
|
| Paper and Paperboard | |||
| Printing and Writing |
kilotons
|
0.5
|
0.5
|
| Packaging and Industrial |
kilotons
|
4.7
|
2.9
|
| Total Paper and Paperboard |
kilotons
|
5.3
|
3.5
|
| Wastepaper |
kilotons
|
1.3
|
1.1
|
| Pulp |
kilotons
|
0.5
|
0.3
|
| Woodchips (4) |
kilotons
|
181.7
|
30.3
|
| Total (5) |
105.1
|
- Sawnwood totals includes: coniferous roughsawn; broadleaved roughsawn; broadleaved dressed; and, railway sleepers.
- Exports of some categories of medium density fibreboard are confidential.
- Wood based panels totals includes: veneers; particleboard; medium density fibreboard; soft board and other fibreboards.
- Bone dry tons
- The total value of Australian Exports to Korea includes: all of the above; paper manufacturers; and, miscellaneous forest products.
Source: Australian forest and wood products statistics - March and June quarters 2007
http://www.abareconomics.com/publications_html/afwps/afwps_07/afwps_dec07.pdf
Source: Australian forest and wood products statistics - March and June quarters 2007
Source: Australian forest and wood products statistics - March and June quarters 2007
Source: Korea Forest Service Website - Import and Export of Forest Products 2007http://english.forest.go.kr/
Source: Korea Forest Service Website - Import and Export of Forest Products 2007
Source: United States of America, State of South Carolina Government
South Korea Market Profile 2005
http://www.state.sc.us/forest/fprodsko.pdf
Source: Korea Forest Service Website - Import and Export of Forest Products 2007
Korean Import Tariffs on Forest Products
Timber and timber products import tariffs in Korea include:
-
2 per cent on roundwood and woodchips
-
5 per cent on sawnwood and veneer sheets
-
8 per cent on most wood based panels and papers.
Further information on tariffs in Korea can be obtained from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Tariff Database.