KUCHING: Sarawak plywood manufacturers have raised Japan-bound 12mm-size plywood prices by US$20-US$30 per cubic metre (cu m) (cost & freight) in April, according to Japan Lumber Reports (JLR).
JLR said the Indonesian plywood producers have also issued large price-increase proposals or halted new offers.
“Export prices remain firm.
Indonesian standard plywood is around US$970/cu m for 2.4mm sheets, US$880 for 3.7mm and US$950 for 5.2mm.
For 12mm products, coated formwork plywood is US$600-610, formwork plywood US$500-510 and structural plywood US$510-520.
“Domestic spot prices in Tokyo also continue to rise.
Coated formwork plywood (12mm 3×6 panel) is trading around 1,900yen per sheet, formwork plywood around 1,620yen and structural plywood around 1,650-1,700yen. Indonesisan standard plywood is roughly 780yen for 2.5mm,930yen for 4mm and 1,150yen for 5.5mm,” it added.
The JLR is a bi-monthly trade journal, and its publication is reproduced by International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) in its Tropical Timber Market Report.
JLR said demand for domestic softwood structural plywood, including speculative e-buying, remained firm through April, allowing manufacturers’ price hikes to stick.
“Producers raised 12mm structural plywood (3×6) to 1,100- 1,150yen per sheet (delivered to wholesalers), with 1,100yen widely accepted in the Tokyo area and some deals concluded above that level.
“For May, major mills are seeking effective prices above 1,300yen as adhesive shortages linked to the Strait of Hormuz disruption force production cuts and push manufacturing costs higher. Imported tropical plywood is facing similar cost pressures,” it added.
In its latest report, ITTO said in March, Indonesia and Malaysia continued as the top suppliers of tropical plywood to Japan, with the combined volume of shipments accounting for 84 per cent of Japan’s total plywood imports for the month, up from 74 per cent in February 2026.
In March, Japan imported 57,000 cu m from Indonesia, which was about 25 per cent higher than March 2025 whereas it imported 47,100 cu m from Malaysia, about the same volume from a year ago.
In the first three months of 2026, Indonesia was far ahead Malaysia in the shipments of plywood to Japan, totalling 163,400 cu m against Malaysia’s 135,400 cu m.
“The other main shippers of plywood to Japan in March were Vietnam and China.
March arrivals from Vietnam were down around 35 per cent (to 10,500 cu m) from the previous month (16,300 cu m) and arrivals from China were also down (to 8,400 cu m) compared to the volume recorded in February (11,700 cu m).
“In March 2026, arrivals of HS441210-39 were reported at 123,896 cu m (February: 111,600 cu m).
As in previous months, of the various categories of plywood imported March, HS4412-31 accounted for most (87%), followed by HS4412-33 (7%), HS4412-34 (4%), with the balance being HS4412-39 and HS4412-10,” said ITTO.
On assembled wooden flooring (HS441871-79), the ITTO report said Japan’s imports of the product continued the downtrend in March after a sharp drop in February.
Shippers in China account for most of Japan’s imports of assembled flooring and shipments, with all imports of HS4418-73 and HS4418-74 originated in China.
China was also the main shipper of HS4418-75, followed by Vietnam and Thailand. For HS4418-79, the main suppliers to Japan in March were Indonesia, Germany and China.
In March, Japan spent about RM556,100 for the imports of assembled flooring products.
In another development, JLR said the Japanese government has released the fourth five-year roadmap for expanding the use of cross laminated timber (CLT), beginning in fiscal 2026.
CLT is an engineered wood panel made by laminating thin layers of sawn lumber perpendicularly to create large, solid panel.
The government maintains the annual production target of 500,000 cu m of CLT. The country’s domestic CLT production capacity stands at about 100,000 cu m but the 2024’s actual output reached only about 21,000 cu m.
“The new roadmap adds three initiatives: developing design manuals for hybrid structures combining CLT with steel and other materials; promoting visualisation of CLT’s environmental performance through LCCO assessments, and advancing exports of domestically produced CLT.
The JLR said the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has indicated that it will consider cutting CLT panels into linear members for use as columns and beams.
