The European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) says it does not expect a market revival any time soon.
In a statement, the EOS said it did not expect reduced levels of activity to change much during the fourth quarter of 2009 or first quarter of 2010.
“A revival, if any, will only come at a later stage, considering the low level of activity in the construction sector,” it said.
“The level of building permit applications lies well below the long-term average.”
The EOS said the softwood sector seemed to be performing better than hardwood, with the latter affected by a lack of demand from the parquet and furniture industries.
But it remained confident about the future of timber products and is pleading for them to be recognised for their carbon storage capacity at the forthcoming climate change conference in Copenhagen.
