The latest Timber Trade Federation (TTF) Timber Statistics, Industry Facts & Figures for May 2020 cover the period up to February this year and acknowledge that the full impact of Covid-19 on the imports of timber and panels in the UK won’t be known until official data become available.

That being said, imports for those months were already down on a year earlier – although it should be noted that January and February 2019 were strong months. Softwood imports within the January- February year-on-year comparison period were down by 23.6%, with cumulative volume at 893,000m3 (2019: 1,168,000m3).

Imports from Sweden and Germany fell by 14% and 15% respectively, while volumes from Latvia, Russia and the Republic of Ireland were around 30% lower. As a result of the latter falls, Sweden’s share of the UK’s softwood imports rose to 47% (2019: 41%).

Russia’s shipments of softwood to the UK rose by 9% in the comparison periods, boosting its market share from 3% in 2019 to 5% in the first two months of this year.

Softwood values also fell heavily in January and February, with overall values for the first two months of the year down 36% on the same 2019 period. Sawn goods values were down 38% and planed goods 33% lower.

Hardwood imports, which had bucked the downward trend last year, also slid in the January-February period, down 17% this year against last. Cumulative volume to January- February was 78,000m3 (2019: 93,000m3). Lower volumes from leading players the US and Estonia account for the fall. Italy and Poland both increased their volume to the UK, by 23% and 10% respectively.

All plywood imports were down by 25.8% in the January-February comparison periods, with cumulative volume at 246,000m3 (2019: 332,000m3).

Within that, hardwood plywood import volumes were down 9.6%, with cumulative volume at 152,000m3 (2019: 168,000m3).

The three main suppliers – China, Russia and Malaysia increased their volume to the UK by just over 1% during the first two months of the year but the next 30 supplying countries saw a collective 37% fall in volume.

China’s UK volume share rose to 64% (from 57% in 2019), Russia’s to 10% (from 8%) and Malaysia’s to 7% (from 4%).

Softwood plywood imports were down even more – by 42%. Cumulative volume to January-February was 94,000m3 (2019: 164,000m3).

The TTF points out that this is the lowest level for four years and is substantially below the Brexit influenced volumes of Q1, 2019.

Almost all the fall (70,000m3) is accounted for by lower volumes from the top three supplier countries – Brazil, Finland and China.

Interestingly, as a result of lower volumes from other countries, Canada has emerged as one of the leading suppliers of softwood plywood to the UK. Its share of volume to the UK has risen from 1% in January-February 2019 to 5% in the same period this year.

Chipboard imports were down 29.7%, with cumulative volume in January-February at 117,000m3 (2019: 167,000m3).

Lower volumes from Germany, France and Portugal in February accounted for most of the fall. Within the leading group, only Belgium and Italy increased their volumes to the UK.

OSB imports were down 35.7% in the comparison periods, with cumulative volume to January-February at 52,000m3 (2019: 81,000m3).

MDF is the only product group to show an increase in import volumes, up 3.3% year-onyear. Cumulative volume to January-February was 130,000m3 (2019: 126,000m3).

As mentioned, the impact of Covid-19 on trade will be revealed in coming months, but the latest TTF Member’s Survey indicated that sales volumes could be lower in March by around a third and by two-thirds in April.