Japan’s building materials imports declined by 16.9% in value in the first five months of 2009 to ¥413.1bn (US$4.4bn) from ¥497.0bn (US$5.34bn) for the same period in 2008, according to data released by the US Commercial Service.
Imports of waferboard, OSB and particleboard fell 21.4% from ¥6.851m to ¥5.388m in same period. Imports of plywood and laminated wood panels dropped 28.1% in value from ¥75.592m to ¥54.373m, while the value of imported joinery and lumber studs dropped 12.9% from ¥31.506m to ¥27.454m.
The value of imports of building products from the US dropped 16.9% in the year to May to ¥28.338bn, compared to ¥34.114bn in the same period in 2008.
Imports of US waferboard, OSB and particleboard fell 82.8% in value from ¥122m to ¥21m, giving the US a 0.4% share of that market, while the value of US imports of plywood and laminated wood panels slid 22.9% in the period from ¥32m in the first five months 2008 to ¥24m in the same period this year.
