Tropical Hardwood Flows in China
By Huang Wenbin, Sun Xiufang View PublicationThrough two commodity chain case studies, this report describes and analyzes the complex tropical log product flows inside China. Two categories of tropical wood were selected: okoumé (Aucoumea klaineana), which mainly derives from Africa, and rosewood (or padauk as it is recorded in Chinese customs data), which derives from Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In the last 10 years, these two categories have accounted for an important share of China’s tropical log imports. From late 2012 to mid-2013, key informant interviews with market actors and other stakeholders were conducted in Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, Yunnan, Guangxi, Shandong and Beijing. The market actors and stakeholders interviewed included importers, wholesalers, retailers, wood processors, industrial experts and government representatives. Unless otherwise stated, information in this report derives from interviews with these stakeholders or from the authors’ observations in the markets.