In first half-year 2021 , Japan imported 419,600 cubic meters of plywood from Malaysia as compared with 336,700 cu m from Indonesia.
On the other hand, Japan’s plywood import volume from Indonesia fell 8.3% to 56,600 cu m from 61,000 cu m over the same period, according to Japan Lumber Reports , a bi-monthly trade news on Japan lumber market.In 2020, Malaysia and Indonesia were tied, each shipping about 702,700 cu m of plywood to Japan. In 2019, Malaysia was the dominant tropical hardwood supplier to Japan, recording 852,300 cu m against Indonesia’s 767,000 cu m.
According to Ta Ann's group managing director and CEO Datuk Wong Kuo Hea, Ta Ann’s PEFC certified plywood products has allowed the group to expand its market share in Japan, which absorbed about 88% of its total plywood exports.The inventory of tropical hardwood plywood in Japan is running low due to tight supply from Malaysia and Indonesia.
“So, recovery of South Sea hardwood plywood supply is very unlikely through the year,” it said in its latest market review.