Softwood Lumber Exports from Russia to Japan

Japan is the main buyer of planed pine and spruce from the Irkutsk region (about 68 and 34 % of shipments in 2017, respectively). The capacity of the lumber market of Japan is estimated at 1 million cubic meters per year, which makes it very attractive for suppliers of lumber. The main flow of supplies from Russia falls on the Irkutsk region (up to 40 % of all planed and profiled timber), this is the export of sawn pine to Japan. The author of the article conducts assessment of timber export from Russia to Japan, analyzes the dynamics of export of coniferous sawn timber of the largest Russian companies to Japan, studies consumption of wood in the components of a traditional Japanese house, analyzes the started residential construction by type of constructions in Japan. The price of planed pine and also the rate of exchange of the ruble to the dollar and the yen to the dollar are given.