Bamboo is an important natural resource from Eastern China. Bamboo was identified in the 1980’s by the government as a potential green business that could bring economic benefits to rural regions. Since then it has grown into a billion USD industry. Current figures put the Chinese bamboo economy in 2013 at 27bn USD (167bn RMB) and the China Bamboo Industry Forecast Plan estimates the value could grow to 48bn USD and employ around 10m people.
An important finished bamboo export is bamboo flooring. This market is dominated by factories based in the regions from Northern Fujian, North-Eastern Jiangxi, Anhui and Zhejiang. The destination for bamboo flooring is predominately North America and Western Europe, an EU Chamber of Commerce report estimated that in 2008 65% of bamboo flooring exports headed to these regions.
Although other regions in China have bamboo natural resources, it is the Eastern provinces that have been able to develop the opportunities and seek out value added opportunities. This situation has come about for several reasons, including local government support, good levels of local education, good access to the major ports of Shanghai and Ningbo and access to capital.
Bamboo flooring is still one of the major standard exports, though bamboo decking (even with the many issues some years ago) is popular, as are hybrid products like BPC (Bamboo Plastic Composite. Similar to WPC which is wood based), bamboo furniture board and bamboo veneer.
There have been many attempts at promoting bamboo furniture, and although the likes of Ikea offer many items, bamboo furniture is yet to make the mainstream for a number of reasons including weight, shortage of designers aware of the material etc..
Another sector of the bamboo market which still has steady demand, is the home furnishing market, including bathroom and kitchen ware such as bathroom sets; waste paper baskets, towel / washing bins and in the kitchen knife blocks and chopping boards.
Keen to keep our knowledge and visibility of the world of bamboo at the forefront of developments, the Heighten team joined BARC2018 – Bamboo and Rattan Conference in Beijing. For Heighten and our bamboo customers, events such as these are an excellent way to keep up to date with the evolution of bamboo in China and around the world.
BARC attracts attendees from all most ever continent and covers a very wide spectrum of bamboo, from afforestation, poverty alleviation to bamboo in cutting edge technology. There are excellent presentations on bamboo architecture, standardisation of bamboo for construction and how bamboo can used in a wide range of applications for the benefit of nature and humanity.
The Heighten team is extremely passionate about the opportunities for bamboo and believe it is material from which products can produced sustainably, albeit, still with impact on the planet when you consider production and logistics. But, with a significantly smaller impact than many other materials.
If you are looking for bamboo products and materials, why spend the time searching yourself? Employ Heighten and our team, with all our knowledge and extended network to save you time and ensure you get the best of what China’s bamboo industry can offer. We manage everything from initial discussions with you about your needs, through to sourcing, factory inspections, production management, quality control and shipping to your door.
Resourses:
Bamboo Flooring Sourcing & Supply ChainInternational Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR)