The decline in UK timber imports continued in the third quarter of 2011, according to latest statistics from The Timber Trade Federation (TTF).
Total imports for the period were 15.1% lower than the same three months in 2010. September was the 10th consecutive month of import decline, and it was 18% down on the same month last year.
The latest falls meant timber imports for the first three quarters were 8.9% lower. Business has been toughest in solid wood, down 14.4%, but earlier growth in panel products has also slowed considerably through the year, so imports for the first nine months were just 3.5% ahead of the same time in 2010.
Softwood imports from January to September were 14.6% lower at 3.5 million m³.
Imports from Sweden and Finland were down 8% and 5% respectively, but both countries still increased market share thanks to falls from Germany, Ireland, Latvia and Russia.
Softwood exports fell 24% to 105,000m³.
Hardwood imports for the first nine months were 12.2% lower at 320,000m³. Imports from Italy and France combined rose by 9,000m³, while those from the US slipped the same amount. But the US still increased market share to 25% due to declines from other countries, including Germany and Cameroon. Europe’s overall share of the UK hardwood market was down 2% to 49%.
Hardwood exports for the period were 8.5% lower at 21,000m³.
Imports of plywood rose 5.7% to 1.036 million m³ and, within that, hardwood plywood was ahead 5.5% at 692,000m³. Hardwood plywood imports from China rose 23% to give it 49% of the market, although September saw this dip to 45%. There were also January-September increases for Russia and Uruguay.
Softwood plywood imports in the nine months rose 6.3% to 345,000m³. Brazil remained the dominant supplier, but its market share slipped from 46% to 39%, representing a 14,000m³ volume decline. China’s market share jumped from 12% to 21%, a rise of 33,000m³. However, in September Chinese imports fell 40% over the same month in 2010, only the third time they showed a monthly decline in three years.
Plywood exports from January to September fell 15.7% to 56,000m³.
Particleboard imports for the period rose 2.4% to 362,000m³ with the share taken by France and Germany both rising to 28% and 32% respectively. Portuguese market share also rose, from 3% to 11%.
Exports fell 24.2% to 87,000m³.
MDF imports were 2.7% ahead at 494,000m³ while exports were 25.4% higher at 125,000m³.
OSB imports fell 5.7% to 137,000m³, while exports increased 30.6% to 127,000m³.
