Mr Soeprihanto said that, as of the end of Q1, 2018, there was a 28% increase in processed wood shipments to the US as buyers there sought out suppliers to fill the gap left by China.
The shift by US importers to Indonesian suppliers, especially of plywood, is expected to continue for the rest of this year said Mr Soeprihanto.
Trade analysts feel that, in the short term, the winners will be South East Asian exporters while the losers will be consumers in the US.
