Radiata pine port prices: Taicang, Xinminzhou and Lanshan quotes

Summary

Port log prices released on 23 October 2026 show New Zealand radiata pine quoted at RMB740–840 per cubic metre across the three main discharge ports of Taicang, Xinminzhou and Lanshan. Small-diameter (K) grades were quoted at RMB740–780 and medium-diameter (A) grades at RMB800–840, reflecting a small-over-medium discount and variation within the medium grades. At Taicang in Jiangsu, 4 small (5.86K) was quoted at RMB760 per cubic metre and 6 small (5.85K) at RMB770, while 4 medium (5.84A) and 6 medium (5.83A) were both at RMB820, putting medium grades RMB50–60 above small grades.

At Xinminzhou in Jiangsu, 4 small (5.82K) was quoted at RMB740 per cubic metre, the lowest price in the survey; 6 small (5.81K) at RMB780; and 4 medium (5.80A) and 6 medium (5.8A) both at RMB800, the low end for those specifications across Xinminzhou and Taicang. At Lanshan in Shandong, 3.9 small (3.8K) was quoted at RMB750 per cubic metre, 5.9 small (5.8K) at RMB780, 3.9 medium (3.8A) at RMB820 and 5.9 medium (5.8A) at RMB840, the highest price in the survey and the highest medium-grade quote among the three ports. Overall, the spread for the same specification across the three ports ranged from RMB10 to RMB40 per cubic metre, with the widest gap in 6 medium (5.8A), where Xinminzhou at RMB800 and Lanshan at RMB840 differed by RMB40.

Small-grade quotes were more tightly clustered across the three ports, with most in the RMB750–780 range apart from Xinminzhou's low of RMB740 for 4 small. The data are for reference only; actual transaction prices remain subject to market conditions.

Commentary

New Zealand radiata pine quotes at Chinese ports show a clear gap between small and medium grades, with medium grades at Taicang, Xinminzhou and Lanshan generally RMB50–60 per cubic metre above small grades. Lanshan's 5.9 medium (5.8A) at RMB840 per cubic metre was the highest price in the survey, while Xinminzhou's 4 small (3.8K) at RMB740 was the lowest. The structure reflects diverging demand in China's construction market: medium grades are used mainly in structural timber and furniture manufacturing, where strength requirements are higher, while small grades go largely into packaging and low-end formwork.

New floor space starts in China continue to contract, but infrastructure and manufacturing investment remain resilient, supporting the premium on medium grades. For New Zealand radiata pine exporters, the price signals from China point to optimising log grading strategy by increasing the share of medium grades, while watching the premium opportunity at Lanshan. As Shandong's main timber discharge port, Lanshan serves the North China and East China hinterlands and typically prices above Jiangsu ports, though logistics costs and port congestion risks need to be weighed.

From the perspective of New Zealand small and medium business owners, radiata pine is China's largest imported softwood log species, with New Zealand supplying more than 90 percent of China's radiata pine imports, but substitution from Chinese domestic plantations and Russian larch has gradually emerged in recent years, and port quote fluctuations directly affect returns for New Zealand forest owners. The current RMB740–840 per cubic metre range is down from the same period in 2025, mainly reflecting China's property downturn and high log inventories, but firm medium-grade prices indicate structural demand remains. New Zealand exporters should strengthen long-term contract ties with East China ports such as Taicang and Xinminzhou, and explore value-added uses for small grades, such as processing into wood chips or oriented strand board feedstock, to hedge price volatility.

In addition, radiata pine inventories at Chinese ports have fallen for three consecutive months, and high medium-grade prices at Lanshan could draw more cargo to Shandong, though a price correction after concentrated arrivals is a risk. For New Zealand sawmills and timber traders, changes in China's log import policy warrant attention, particularly quarantine and fumigation requirements, along with the effect of the renminbi exchange rate on landed costs.

Keywords: radiata pine, port log prices, Taicang port, Xinminzhou port, Lanshan port, New Zealand, timber market, small-diameter logs, medium-diameter logs

Source: China Timber and Wood Products Distribution Association