The Chinese and Canadian governments have reached a trade agreement that should stimulate demand in China for logs from British Columbia, reported Seatrade.

From the start of this month, British Columbian logs can be shipped year-round into Putian in Fujian province and the Yangtze port of Taicang in Jiangsu province, without being treated for pests, said forest industry consultant Brian Zak.

Until now, China would only accept these logs untreated during the winter months and they all had to go through Putian, where they are fumigated.

China is the world’s largest importer of logs, consuming 28bn cubic metres of them in 2009; so far in 2010, imports are up 13 per cent. Currently, British Columbian exports account for a small percentage of the total.