China urgently suspends imports of U.S. logs: quarantine ban triggers emergency adjustments to supply chain

China Customs has suspended the import of logs from the United States from today, and the quarantine ban has resulted in a gap of 12 million cubic meters in annual imports. Experts have suggested the emergency launch of the railway transportation plan for the Russian port of Zarubino, and warned that the price of construction materials will rise by 15% within the month.
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In-depth analysis of the General Administration of Customs' policy on suspending U.S. log imports

March 4, 2025General Administration of CustomsThe import of logs from the United States will be suspended immediately. This quarantine ban is directly aimed atHigh-risk forest pests such as bark beetles and longhorn beetles, which is expected to affect the U.S. softwood supply chain with an annual import volume of approximately 12 million cubic meters.

LumberFlow Expert Interpretation

1. Urgent replacement gap: American logs occupy China's softwood market18-22% shareThe main gap will shift to Irkutsk Oblast, Russia (current CIF price $148/m³) and British Columbia, Canada (the quotation increased by 9% month-on-month).
2. Compliance costs surge: Existing goods in transit need to be processed in a third countryMethyl bromide fumigation, the cost of each container increases by $1,850, and the processing cycle is extended by 14-18 days.
3. Price transmission mechanism: spot price forecast for building standard materialsIncreased by 12-15% within the month, especially Douglas fir 2×4#2 grade will break through the CNY2,380/m³ mark.

Logistics Impact Analysis

1. Urgent route adjustment: Weekly capacity of the US West Coast-China log line (such as COSCO PSW5) will be reduced4,200TEU, the spot freight rate for 40-foot high cabinet fell by $400-500.
2. Multimodal transport solution: Timber train transportation cost from Zarubino Port, Russia to Hunchun Railway Port$27/m³ lower than US West Coast shipping, but the weekly capacity is only 35,000 cubic meters.
3. Port quarantine upgrade: Qingdao/Zhangjiagang and other core ports configurationNew X-ray Pest Detection System, customs clearance time is extended to 5-7 working days.

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