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).

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