The latest figures from the Timber Trade Federation – TTF Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, November 2020 – reveal that the import volumes in the month of August confirmed the recovery from the spring lockdown.
Volumes in August were higher than the same month in 2019, which is the first time in 16 months that volumes were higher than the corresponding month of the previous year.
Solid wood imports and panel imports in the January-August period were 17% and 21% lower, respectively, than the same eight months in 2019 – nevertheless, this shows further improvement since the spring.
“It was reported last month that imports of most timber and panel products during June and July had returned to similar levels as in 2019 and the recovery continued in August,” said the TTF, adding that import volume had “returned to positive territory at 3.6% above the August 2019 level”.
Softwood imports in the eight month yearon- year comparison were down 16.3% with cumulative volume for January-August at 3,785,000m3 (2019: 4,520,000m3).
Despite the increase in softwood imports in July and in August, all of the leading countries of supply continued to record lower numbers for the eight months to August.
The value of softwood imports in January- August 2020 was lower by 25% (or by £231m), with sawn goods down by 27% and planed softwood down by 22%.
Hardwood imports were down by 22% in the January-August comparison periods, with cumulative volume this year at 275,000m3 (2019: 354,000m3).
Lower than average reductions in volume meant that France, Italy and Poland actually increased their share of hardwood supply to the UK. Conversely, significant reductions in volume from Latvia (down 43%) and Estonia (down 45%) reduced these countries’ share of supply.
Having said that, both these countries shipped more oak to the UK than last year. Total plywood imports in the period were down 15.1% on the same period last year, with cumulative volume to January-August at 888,000m3 (2019: 1,046,000m3).
Within this total figure, hardwood plywood imports were down by 14.6%, with cumulative January-August volume at 563,000m3 (2019: 659,000m3).
Imports of hardwood plywood from China were down by 3% in the eight months to August 2020, but its share of supply to the UK has improved (from 56% to 63%), thanks to lower volumes from the other supplying countries – with the exception of Malaysia. Year-to-date volumes from the latter have risen by around 15%.
Softwood plywood imports in the year-on-year comparison periods were down by 15.9%, with cumulative volume from January-August at 326,000m3 (2019: 387,000m3).
Brazil, the market leader, experienced much smaller volume reductions than other supplying countries and so has increased its supply share in January-August from 58% in 2019, to 66% this year.
As last month, South Africa has shipped sizeable volumes to the UK and has gained a 5% share of supply to date in 2020 (2019: 0.5% share).
Chipboard imports were down 40% on the comparison periods, with cumulative volume over the January-August months at 357,000m3 (2019: 595,000m3).
Just three supplying countries – Germany, France and Portugal – account for 80% of the drop. In percentage terms, the reduction in volume for the three countries is 44%, 51% and 45% respectively.
Belgium and the Republic of Ireland improved their share of supply to the UK – Belgium from 14% to 20% and Ireland from 6% to 7%. However, both these countries exported lower volumes to the UK – 18% and 24% less respectively.
OSB imports from January-August were 14.5% down on the equivalent 2019 period, with cumulative volume at 238,000m2 (2019: 278,000m3).
MDF imports were also down and were 14.1% lower in January-August 2020 than the same period in 2019. Cumulative volume was 409,000m3 (2019: 476,000m3).
