Manufacturing of consumer goods in China, with subsequent export to the United States, is a very common practice. Wood products are also popular in Chinese manufacturing. Lumber products produced in China have seen staggering growth rates throughout the past few years, as demand for plywood, veneer sheets, fiberboard, partial boards, and other household furniture items has increased. In fact, according to a recent study, Chinese export of lumber products has grown a whopping 315% in the past five years – a number that is only expected to rise during the coming years.
Currently, China is made up of about 14% forest cover, divided almost equally between coniferous and broadleaved timberlands. The country’s largest forests are located in the northeast and Mongolian provinces, the ten southern provinces, and Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. China’s southern-most forests are predominately lowland rainforests and monsoon conditions not conducive to wood manufacturing. Due to the constantly-growing product demand, the Chinese government understands the importance of forestry redevelopment and has implemented numerous greening programs.
As many are already aware, much of China gets hit hard by “the rainy season,” which is a period of two to four weeks from April to July, where torrential downpours occur almost every day. It comes as no surprise that this shift in the weather has a serious impact on manufacturing, as many major operations within the country shutdown during this period. There are cancelled flights, road closures, and other transportation issues thanks to massive flooding.
This ultimately puts a halt to the fever pitch that is Chinese manufacturing. It is much more difficult to transport goods, and costs typically rise as companies demand an increase in compensation to maneuver around roads during treacherous conditions. Crops and raw wood materials in forest lands are also heavily impacted by potential flooding. In 2010, The Associated Press reported that the flooding—after a mere three days of showers–damaged more than 80,000 homes and an extensive area of croplands.
By working with ITI, you will have a liaison to China to help with the stresses of the rainy season delays for your wood manufacturing. We know because we have been doing it for 40 years. Contact us today for a free quote: (281) 242-7030
