Abstract: Chemical utilization of forest products is referred to the chemical processing of both wood and non-wood forest raw materials to produce various products, necessary to the development of national economy. The main products are: wood pulp and paperboard, wood-based active carbon, oleoresin chemicals, vegetable tannins, essential oils, plant extracts, etc. In recent years, Chinese forest chemical industry developed rapidly, especially the construction of integrated forest-paper industry provides the favorable conditions for the development of wood pulping industry and the change of the raw material structure for Chinese paper industry. According to the plan, the wood pulp output in 2005 will be 3.8 million tons and 7.5 million tons in 2010. The annual output of gum rosin in China has already been over 500 kt with annual export of around 300 kt. The wood-based active carbon output is about 60 kt/a. With the development of Chinese economy, the demand for the forest chemical processing products is expected to keep increasing.

Key words: forest products, chemical industry