Japan’s 1Q 2019 wooden office furniture imports were down around 10% compared to the 1Q 2018, this despite a 22% rise in the value of imports in March 2019, as ITTO reported.
Two shippers dominated March imports, China which accounted for 49% of Japan’s imports of wooden office furniture and Germany which contributed a further 27%. If shipments from Poland are added to those from the two main shippers then over 80% of imports are accounted for. Shippers seeing a significant decline in March deliveries to Japan include Viet Nam, Indonesia and Portugal.
Shipments of office furniture from Germany surged in March coming in some 25 times higher than a month earlier. The month on month value of March imports from China was flat. Overall, year on year imports of wooden office furniture dipped 5% in March 2019.
