The lower import volumes seen in the fourth quarter of 2021 (compared to the first three quarters) proved to be a sign of things to come, with imports in the first two months of 2022 lower than the same period in 2021 by 342,000m3 – around 18% down.

This is the finding of the latest Timber Trade Federation (TTF) statistics – TTF Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, May 2022 – which goes on to say that the fall in volume was “heavily weighed down by lower softwood imports”.

Softwood imports in the January-February year-on-year comparison were down 28.7%, with cumulative volume at 865,000m3 (2021: 1,213,000m3).

The TTF notes that softwood imports from the Republic of Ireland couldn’t keep up with the general increase in softwood imports in 2021 but that this changed in January- February this year, with volumes from Ireland increasing by more than a third compared to the same two months in 2021.

Its supply share rose from 4% to 8% in the comparison periods.

In contrast, volumes from Sweden, Finland and Germany fell by over a third in the same comparison period, losing share in the meantime. Latvian volumes fell around 5%.

Despite the drop in volumes, the value of softwood imports into the UK in the first two months of 2022 was almost identical to the same period in 2021 – £288m.

Hardwood imports were up 32.1% in the January-February comparison periods, with cumulative volume at 108,000m3 (2021: 82,000m3).

The TTF points out that around 70% of the increase was attributable to Latvia, which increased its share from 12% to 25%. France also increased its share – from 7% in January-February 2021 to 13% in the same two months of 2022.

In contrast, the share of US hardwoods halved from 14% to 7%, while Estonia saw its share fall from 12% to 7%.

Strong growth in tropical species from Malaysia – mostly meranti – saw that country’s share grow from 1% to 6% in the year-on-year comparison periods.

Total plywood imports were 7.9% up on the comparison periods, with cumulative volume to January-February at 312,000m3 (2021: 289,000m3).

Within this, hardwood plywood imports were up 9.2%, with cumulative volume to January-February at 190,000m3 (2021: 174,000m3).

Most of this growth was accounted for by the three leading supplier countries increasing their shipments to the UK. China remains the top supplier by some margin, accounting for 63% of the share (2021: 64%).

Softwood plywood imports were also up – by 5.9%. Cumulative volume to January- February was 122,000m3 (2021: 115,000m3).

China increased its volumes by around 16,000m3 over this period, resulting in its supply share rising from 12% in January- February 2021, to 25% in the same period this year. However, volumes from Finland and Brazil declined.

Chipboard imports were up 12.8% in the year-on-year comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-February at 117,000m3 (2021: 104,000m3).

A number of the supplying countries have seen good growth, including the Netherlands, which shipped 10,000m3 more chipboard to the UK, and France and Spain, which each increased volumes by 5,000m3.

OSB imports were down by 44.3%, with cumulative volume to January-February at 57,000m3 (2021: 102,000m3).

MDF imports were down by 8.5%, with cumulative volume to January-February at 120,000m3 (2021: 132,000m3).