Once again the latest figures from the Timber Trade Federation reveal the marked difference between looking at the whole picture, as against individual months.
For example, TTF Statistics – Industry Facts & Figures, October 2019, show that while total import volumes in the first seven months of the year were up by nearly 234,000m3, or 4%, the volume for July was 8.3% below that of July 2018. This, said the TTF, is the fourth consecutive month where volume is below that of the corresponding month last year.
Softwood imports in the January to July year-on-year comparison rose by 6%, to a cumulative volume of 4,037,000m3. Swedish volumes had grown by around 8,000m3 by the end of July but other leading suppliers have witnessed much stronger growth. For example, imports of Latvian softwood to the end of July are around 80,000m3 higher, while German volumes were 40,000m3 higher. Finland and the Republic of Ireland also recorded higher volumes – up by 37,000m3 and 30,000m3 respectively.
Sweden’s share of the UK’s total softwood imports for the first seven months was 41%, down from 44% in the corresponding 2018 period, while Latvia’s is 18%, up from 17% in January-July 2018.
There was an overall increase in value of softwood imports of 2.2%, driven by higher volumes, although average prices had fallen by 3.8% in the January-July period of this year.
Hardwood imports were up by 12.8% in the January-July year-on-year comparison periods. This robust growth is despite the fact that the US, the market leading hardwood exporter, shipped out around 8% less material for the first seven months of 2019. Its market share of the UK’s hardwood imports has slipped from 20% to 16% in the comparison periods.
Meanwhile, the other main supplying countries – Estonia, France, Latvia, Italy and Cameroon – have witnessed growth rates of 18-25%. Estonian hardwood now accounts for 14% of UK hardwood imports.
In fact Europe as a whole now has a 65% share of hardwood supply to the UK (from January-July), which represents growth of 22% over the same period last year.
Total plywood imports were down by 3.2% on the comparison periods, with cumulative volumes to July of 945,000m3 (2018: 976,000m3). And within that total, hardwood plywood imports were down by 4%, with cumulative volumes at 585,000m3 (2018: 609,000m3).
The decline in volumes is largely down to imports from China, Malaysia and Indonesia being down by 9% collectively. China still accounts for 56% of market share, however.
Softwood plywood imports also fell, this time by 1.8%. This is due, says the TTF to the lower volume-supplying countries tailing off shipments, while the top three suppliers, Brazil, Finland and China, all increased volumes to the UK.
Brazil’s share of UK softwood plywood imports is up to 59% (from 56% in January- July 2018), while Finland accounts for 13% (up from 12%) and China 12% (up from 11%).
Chipboard imports were also down – again by 1.8%. Cumulative volumes to July were 524,000m3 (2018: 533,000m3), with Germany and France accounting for the lion’s share of supply, collectively increasing their volumes by 17% in the month of July.
Germany accounted for 30% of the UK’s chipboard imports to July this year, up from 26% in the same period last year, while France is on 28%, up from 24% last year. Belgium is down to 15% (2018: 17%), Portugal is up to 11% (2018: 9%) and Ireland is down to 6% (2018: 7%).
OSB imports from January-July were up by 9.6%, with cumulative volumes at 238,000m3 (2018: 218,000m3).
Meanwhile MDF imports went the other way and were down by 4.2%, with cumulative volumes to July at 421,000m3 (2018: 440,000m3).
