Imports of the main timber and panel products in the first half of 2022 were 10% below the same period last year, although this reduction in volume was not across the board, according to the latest figures from the Timber Trade Federation (TTF).
In the second quarter of this year, import volumes were 6.2% below the high levels of Q2, 2021.
The TTF Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, September 2022 go on to say that imports of the main timber and panel products in H1 of this year reached close to 5.5 million m3 and points out that the comparison is made with a period of rapid growth rates in 2021.
“Comparisons made against 2022 therefore need to take into account the volatility caused by the disruption and subsequent recovery in 2020 and 2021,” said the TTF.
Softwood imports were down 15% in the comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-June 2022 at 3,414,000 (2021: 4,018,000). It’s worth noting that the January- June figures in 2021 were up a massive 48.8% on the equivalent period in 2020.
The TTF finds that substantially more volume imported from Sweden in June this year compared to June 2021 reduced the year-to-date deficit of volume from Sweden in 2022 to just 2%. This also resulted in raising the share of supply from Sweden to 43% of the total – up from 37% in the first half of 2021.
The Republic of Ireland was the only country of the leading group of suppliers to increase volumes in H1 – up by 48%. Meanwhile, Latvia’s volumes in H1 were down 15%, Finland’s were down 24% and Germany’s were down 31%.
The value of softwood imports in H1 was 13% higher than the same period in 2021.
Hardwood imports, on the other hand, were up in H1 this year – up 23.8% on H1 2021, with cumulative volume from January-June at 323,000m3 (2021: 261,000m3).
Latvia is now well and truly out in front as the largest supplier of hardwoods to the UK after more than doubling its volumes. It now accounts for 24% of the share, up from 14% in the first half of 2021.
“Accounting for nearly a quarter of all hardwood imports, Latvia has supplied as much volume in the first half of 2022 as France and the US combined,” said the TTF, pointing out that this is despite good growth of volume from France, whose supply share rose from 9% in H1, 2021 to 12% in H1 of this year.
Total plywood imports were up 6.5% in H1, compared to H1, 2021, with cumulative volume from January-June at 828,000m3 (2021: 777,000m3).
Within the total, hardwood plywood imports were up 10% on H1 last year, with cumulative volume from January-June at 583,000m3 (2021: 526,000m3).
Imports of hardwood plywood from China, Indonesia and Thailand were higher in H1 2022 by around 100,000m3 – with China accounting for 90,000m3 of that.
Softwood plywood imports were down by 2.6%, with cumulative volume from January- June at 245,000m3 (2021: 251,000m3).
The TTF points to a massive rise in imports of softwood plywood from China – up 79% in the first half of 2022, compared to H1 2021. Imports from Chile have also grown, but by a more modest 21%.
Very few other countries are showing any growth in exports of softwood plywood to the UK, with Brazil, Finland, South Africa, Poland, Uruguay and Canada all showing losses in volume.
Chipboard imports were down 1.8% in the comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-June at 341,000m3 (2021: 347,000m3).
Two countries that saw growth rates of more than 50% in the first two months of the year were France and Spain. Losses in import volume from Belgium and Portugal have been the main cause of the overall small reduction in chipboard imports in 2022 to date, says the TTF.
OSB imports were down 27.7% in the comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-June at 187,000m3 (2021: 258,000m3).
And MDF imports were also down – by 13.4%. Cumulative volume from January- June was 377,000m3 (2021: 435,000m3).
