Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the responses of the timber products industry and distributors to the decrease in timber imports during the 2021 timber crisis in Japan, and discuss the issues related to the current timber distribution system in the country. To prevent the occurrence of another timber crisis in the future (or to mitigate its effects), it is necessary to expand the supply of domestic timber. However, this will take a significant amount of time. Thus, based on the current timber distribution system, it is necessary to prepare effective methods that can minimize the impact of another timber crisis such as varying the supply of imported timber and strengthening the business relationships with overseas suppliers to stabilize import volumes. Moreover, since the impact of the timber crisis was greater for supply chains with higher dependence on timber imported as finished products, timber supply chains must strengthen their inventory functions to mitigate market disruptions, particularly when the supply of imported timber declines.
