Finnish forest industry production recorded a small increase towards the end of 2009 after bottoming out earlier in the year, the Finnish Forest Industries Federation said.
Full-year value was €15bn, with €4bn generated by wood products and the remainder by pulp and paper. Total value in the final quarter was €4bn.
Finland has 50 pulp and paper mills, about 170 industrial scale sawmills and 15 panel product factories. A spokesman said the industry had modernised its structures and increased operational efficiencies to develop opportunities during the global recession.
The spokesperson added that political decisions concerning energy and labour continued to affect the industry’s competitiveness. “As markets recover the steady availability of domestic timber at a competitive price will become an increasingly important issue.”
