The latest statistics from Timber Development UK (TDUK) reveal the whole UK import picture for 2022 and confirm that shipments to the UK of the main timber and panel products from overseas in 2022 totalled 9.3 million m3, which is down on 2021 by 2.4 million m3 – about 20% lower.

Solid wood imports were 23% lower last year than in 2021, while imports of panel products were 14% lower.

Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, March 2023 also reveal that after a lengthy period of price increases for timber and panel products, there are clear signs of a slowdown in the rate of increase and some price falls.

Figures for December 2022 bucked the trend, however and were marginally higher than in December 2021, which the TDUK notes is the first time in seven months that 2022 monthly volumes exceeded 2021 monthly volumes.

Softwood imports for January-December 2022 were down 25% in the year-on-year comparison with cumulative volume at 5,677,000m3 (2021: 7,578,000m3). Volume from Sweden was down by 7.5%, while those from Latvia, Finland and Germany were much sharper at -32%, -25% and -43% respectively.

Imports from Russia ceased in the second half of 2022, while the volume from the Republic of Ireland rose by more than 115,000m3, raising its share of supply to the UK from 4% in 2021 to 8% last year.

The value of softwood imports fell to just under the £2bn mark, a drop of 20%.

Hardwood imports were up 7.5% over the year, with cumulative volume from January-December 2022 at 576,000m3 (2021:536,000m3), which the TDUK points out, makes 2022 the best year for hardwood imports by the UK this century.

This growth has been fuelled by significant increases in hardwood imports from Latvia and France, which now top the supply share list at 23% and 13% respectively (2021: Latvia 13%, France 9%).

The US and Italy shipped substantially less hardwood to the UK in 2022, however, with their share of supply falling to 12% and 4% respectively (2021: US 15%, Italy 8%).

Total plywood imports were down 14.3% in 2022, compared to 2021, with cumulative volume at 1,320,000m3 (2021: 1,541,000m3).

Within this total, hardwood plywood imports were down 10.5%, with cumulative volume from January-December 2022 at 970,000m3 (2021: 1,084,000m3).

China increased its supply of hardwood plywood to the UK in 2022 by 2%, the only leading supplier country to experience any growth that year. Its share of supply hit 67% in 2022, up from 59% in 2021.

Volumes from India and Malaysia were down by 12% and 18% respectively. Imports from Russia disappeared mid-year.

Softwood plywood imports were down by 23.4%, with cumulative volume from January-December 2022 at 350,000m3 (2021: 457,000m3). Chile was the only one of the top four supplying countries to increase its shipments last year – up by just over 3%. Volume from China was down 27% and from Finland down 23%.

Chipboard imports were down by 7.2% (see pp23-25), with cumulative volume at 648,000m3 (2021: 698,000m3).

TDUK notes that the striking feature in chipboard imports in 2022 was the rise in volumes from France – an extra 50,000m3. This meant that France took the top spot in the share of supply to the UK, accounting for 25% (2021: 16%), a position previously held by Germany, which saw its share fall from 33% in 2021 to 24% in 2022.

Germany’s supply of chipboard to the UK fell by 70,000m3, although a good proportion of the 36,000m3 supplied by the Netherlands originated in Germany.

OSB imports last year were down by 20.8% on 2021, with cumulative volume at 365,000m3 (2021: 461,000m3).

Last year’s MDF imports were down 15.9% compared to 2021, with cumulative volume at 739,000m3 (2021: 878,000m3).