On September 4, 2026, the "2026 China Global Wood Trade Conference (GWT China 2026)" was successfully held in Rizhao. Co-hosted by the China Timber & Wood Products Distribution Association (CTWPDA) and Shandong Port Group Co., Ltd., and organized by Shandong Port Rizhao Port Group Co., Ltd., the conference, under the theme of "Wood Connects Five Continents, Building the Future Together", brought together more than 800 participants, including representatives of industry associations and chambers of commerce, experts and scholars, and business leaders, to jointly explore global timber industry development opportunities and draw a new blueprint for mutually beneficial industrial cooperation.

Leaders attending the conference included Wang Xinsheng, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Rizhao Municipal Committee and Mayor of Rizhao; Hu Dajian, Member of the Party Committee Standing Committee & Vice President of the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (CFLP); Wang Yanan, Director of the Wholesale Division of the Department of Circulation Development, Ministry of Commerce; Han Enze, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Shandong Port Group Co., Ltd.; Lv Xiangyong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Rizhao Municipal Committee and Secretary-General of the CPC Rizhao Municipal Committee; and Li Jiafeng, President of CTWPDA.

Wang Xinsheng said that Rizhao, a well-known timber import distribution hub at home and abroad, has in recent years focused on elevating the comprehensive service capacity of its timber supply chain and is fully capable of building itself into a world-class timber trading center and processing center. He expressed the hope of deepening strategic cooperation and expanding economic and trade exchanges with all parties, using timber as the bond to host more supply-demand matching events in Rizhao and deliver more investment and cooperation outcomes.

Hu Dajian put forward forward-looking insights on digital-intelligent empowerment, collaborative symbiosis, and green and safe development, pointing the way for the high-quality development of the timber industry and instilling confidence in the industry's transformation and upgrading.

Li Jiafeng pointed out that China's timber industry has entered a period of deep adjustment, making high-quality development the only way forward. The current industry landscape is facing four profound transformations — the reshaping of the supply-demand structure, rising industry concentration, technology-empowered upgrading across the entire industry chain, and accelerated global expansion — which require the whole industry to respond with clearer understanding and more determined action.

Han Enze noted that timber is a traditional advantageous cargo type of Rizhao Port and an important link connecting international resources with domestic industries. Going forward, the Group will build first-class infrastructure, open up multi-directional logistics corridors and innovate supply chain service models, so that more resources and more cooperation can converge in Rizhao, jointly advancing the timber industry toward higher value.

In the keynote speech session, Shen Wei, Secretary-General of CTWPDA; Jiang Xiudi, Executive Manager of Commodity Division II of the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE); Li Xuefeng, General Manager of Linyi Dongstar Import & Export Co., Ltd.; and Lydia Afriyie-Kraft, EU Timber Regulation Compliance Consultant of the German Timber Trade Federation (GD Holz), delivered speeches on topics including China's macroeconomic development trends, domestic and international market demand for timber and wood products, log futures, the global plywood market, and the EU market situation and import demand.

A number of special sessions were held alongside the conference, including "Promoting Sustainable Tropical Timber Trade", the DCE "Monthly Talks" special session on log futures, the China–Japan Timber Industry Business Matching Conference, and the China Timber and Wood Products Import & Export Trade Conference, providing professional platforms for in-depth dialogue and practical cooperation in specific segments.

The conference consolidated industry consensus and deepened international cooperation, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of China's timber and wood products industry and the building of an open, win-win global timber trade system.