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Builder’s joinery imports up 31.5% to AUD455M

The value of imports of Builder’s Joinery rose very strongly in 2015, reaching AUD455M as all of the sub-grades experienced strong growth in import value. The major ‘posts and beams’ grade, which includes amongst other products LVL and I-Beams experienced an increase in value of 46.7% for the year-ended December 2015, compared with the prior year.

As the chart below shows, the total imports of Builders Joinery have been on a virtually continuous ride upwards since 2012, driven by the significant growth in dwelling approvals and commencements. Unlike other grades such as sawn softwood, Builders’ Joinery has more resilience to the changing face of the housing market. Wooden floors, windows and doors are needed, for instance, in apartments as much as houses.

Fig13

To go straight to the dashboard and take a closer look at the data, click here.

Turning to specific Builders Joinery products, in this edition of Statistics Count, we will focus attention on the structural grade of posts and beams that includes the engineered wood products with structural applications, such as I Beams and LVL.

Having risen 46.7%, the value of imports of Wooden Posts and Beams has far out-stripped currency movements, making it plain the import volumes have also increased and have been doing so continuously. For the year-ended December 2015, imports were valued at AUD122.1M, up from AUD76.4M a year earlier, as the chart below demonstrates.

Fig14

To go straight to the dashboard and take a closer look at the data, click here.

The USA has been the big winner as a supplier, despite the depreciation of the Australian Dollar against the US Dollar. This can be observed in the chart below, which shows that the value of supplies of LVL, I-Beams and the like, from the USA, increased 18.6% for the year-ended December 2015.

Fig15

To go straight to the dashboard and take a closer look at the data, click here.

Leaving aside the strength of the ‘Other’ countries, the value of New Zealand’s imports rose strongly and in fact more than doubled over 2015, to reach AUD9.6M for 2015. Given the broad symmetry of movements in the exchange rates of Australia and New Zealand, it is very likely that the volume of Posts and Beams imported from New Zealand also doubled, or at least, came close to it.

Overall, the rising value of imports of Builders Joinery has arisen in concert with the appreciation of the US Dollar. The likelihood is that largely the same volume of imports is being experienced, with the price increasing to take into account the currency fluctuations.

Posted Date: March 4, 2016

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