China’s share was larger than the next four supplier countries combined and marked a 9.1% increase compared with the previous year. The figures were calculated on an AUD cif basis, reflecting the landed cost of products in Australia, including freight and insurance.
Plywood, LVL and glulam lead import categories
The largest product category was plywood, LVL and glulam, with imports valued at US$792.8 million. This category accounted for 26.3% of Australia’s total wood product import spend.
It was followed by builders joinery at US$562.4 million and sawnwood at US$556.4 million. Together, these three categories represented close to 64% of Australia’s total wood product import expenditure for the year.
The data also highlights that these are product categories for which Australian plantation fibre has the raw capacity to support domestic production.
New Zealand, Indonesia and Malaysia remain key suppliers
After China, New Zealand was Australia’s second-largest source of wood product imports, with shipments valued at US$302.9 million. Indonesia followed with US$289.4 million, while Malaysia supplied US$180.4 million.
Among the top ten supplier countries, Finland recorded the strongest year-on-year growth. Its exports to Australia rose by 38% compared with the previous calendar year, reaching US$80.1 million.
Plywood import volumes continue to climb
The data also confirms a broader trend already observed across several import categories. Australia’s 12-month plywood import volume exceeded 500,000 cubic metres for the first time in January 2026, representing a 21.8% increase compared with the previous corresponding period.
January also recorded the highest single-month plywood import volume ever measured, despite usually being one of the quieter months in Australia’s trade calendar.
Overall, the figures point to Australia’s continued reliance on imported wood products, particularly from China, while also underlining the strong demand for engineered wood, joinery and sawnwood products.
