Imports of the main timber and panel products in the first five months of this year were 8% lower than over the same period in 2022, but the month of May has been comparatively strong.
These are the findings of the latest figures from Timber Development UK in its TDUK Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, August 2023 report.
“It appears that a more stable trading environment has developed in 2023 with the large increases and decreases of the last three years having worked themselves out of the market for imported timber and panels,” said the report.
Softwood imports were 5.8% down on the January-May year-on-year comparison, with cumulative volume at 2,568,000m3 (2022: 2,727,000m3).
The TDUK notes that May was the best month to date in 2023 for softwood imports, with volumes climbing to the levels seen in May 2021 and 2022. The two big Scandinavian suppliers have exported greater volumes to the UK, with Sweden higher by 16%, taking its share to 51% (up from 41%) and Finland by 7%, taking its share to 13% (up from 12%).
Other softwood supplying countries exported less volume, losing share as a result, with the greatest loss experienced by Latvia (from 21% down to 14%).
Hardwood imports were down 26.5% in the January-May year-on-year comparison, with cumulative volume for the first five months of this year at 200,000m3 (2022: 272,000m3).
The TDUK notes that all the leading countries of supply have shipped less volume this year, although the US was down by less than 1%. As a result, the US’s share of supply has risen from 12% in January-May 2022 to 16% in the same period this year, while Latvia’s share has fallen from 21% to 13%.
Total plywood imports in the January-May comparison period was 23.4% down on the same time last year, with cumulative volume at 560,000m3 (2022: 730,000m3).
Within that, hardwood plywood import volumes were down 30.3%, with cumulative volume from January-May this year at 360,000m3 (2022: 517,000m3).
This drop in export volume was shared by all supplying countries except Latvia. During the first five months of this year, China, the most dominant supplying country, with a 69% share (up from 68% January-May 2022), shipped more than 100,000m3 less than in the same period of 2022.
Softwood plywood imports were down 6.7%, with cumulative volume for January- May at 199,000m3 (2022: 214,000m3).
The greatest loss in volume in 2023 to date has come from China, contributing 34,000m3 to the total deficit over 2022. Imports from Chile were also lower, by around 1,000m3. Brazil, however, increased its volume by 17%, or around 20,000m3.
Chipboard imports were down 10.2% in the January-May year-on-year comparison periods, with cumulative volume at 257,000m3 (2022: 286,000m3).
The swapping of positions by France and Germany as the leading supplier of chipboard to the UK continues, with Germany exporting 22,000m3 less in the first five months of this year and France exporting 15,000m3 more. France now has 31% of the supply share (up from 23%), with Germany at 24% (down from 29%).
OSB imports were down 26.5%, with cumulative volume for the first five months at 194,000m3 (2022: 153,000). MDF imports were up 4.8%, with cumulative volume at 335,000m3 (2022: 319,000m3).
