Exports of forestry products continue to rise
Exports of forestry products continue to rise
Exports of forestry products for the year ending 31 December 2002 rose by 2.4 percent over the previous December year to NZ$3,709 million, according to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
This represents a 12.5 percent share of New Zealand’s total exports.
The increase was driven by exports of sawn timber (up 15.1 percent to NZ$925 million), logs (up 9.3 percent to NZ$773 million), fibreboard (mostly medium density fibreboard – MDF, up 2.9 percent, NZ$298 million) and continuously-shaped wood products such as mouldings (up 31.1 percent to NZ$113 million).
Falls in the value of pulp exports (down 12.6 percent to NZ$490 million) and paper and paperboard exports (down an estimated 15.6 percent to NZ$498 million) partially offset these increases.
Australia was the leading market for New Zealand’s forestry products in the December 2002 year, with a 25.5 percent market share (NZ$945 million).
The other major markets were Japan (NZ$ 707 million or 19
percent market share), USA (NZ$ 570 million or 15 percent),
Korea (NZ$493 million or 13 percent) and China (NZ$383
million or 10
percent).