According to the ITTO reports, the eucalyptus plywood for packaging use is in short supply in China now. Shipments to its main markets are dropping quickly. The wood based panel industry is in good business this year. However, the long lasting rain in Southern China has caused shortage of the eucalyptus veneers. Even though factories has stocked a lot of materials, but they run out quickly. All the market is waiting for the supply of eucalyptus.
Sheets
When consumers in west talk about hardwood plywood, it should be birch. But in China or vietnam, the main material of hardwood is eucalyptus, which has a density of 600 kgs/cbm. The plywood usually use phenolic glue or melamine glue for better moisture resistance.
Poplar & Eucalyptus Plywood
Chinese manufacturers are more focusing on the production of softwood panels made with poplar. It is cheap in price with good quality. Furniture plywood needs better flatness. So furniture plywood requires half layers of eucalyptus or full hardwood. For the commercial plywood manufacture the poplar wood is enough.
There is a trend that chinese plywood factories are switching to lower cost board now to meet the market demand. Cabinet grade plywood has been replaced by blocked board for its lower prices. Nonetheless, a lot of high technology panels are invented and manufactured for luxury decoration. Hardwood plywood can also be used as die cut board.
More and more osb board factories are built in Shandong province of China. It is introduced from west and Chinese customers are getting used to it. The oriented strand board are most eco friendly and cheaper compared with ply. OSB needs no decoration. The MDI bond used in OSB production process remits zero formaldehyde.
