The European wood-based panels market will start to gradually recover from mid-2025, delegates at the European Wood Based Panels symposium in Hamburg were told on October 10.
Thomas Walther, of consultant Afry, told the 375-strong event that European panel markets will gradually recover after a period of decline, but demand levels by 2027 are unlikely to reach pre-Covid levels.
His predictions for 2024 in the particleboard and MDF key product areas forecast a -1% demand reduction for both, with MDF down by 100,000m3 and PB by 600,000m3. Then a +1% growth is forecast in 2025 in both areas.
Despite this prediction of flat business volumes in a sector which has struggled in 2023 and 2024, Mr Walther said there was some room for optimism.
“In general, the situation looks a little bit better,” he said. “We do not need to be too pessimistic.”
He referenced the falls in chemical and woodchip prices compared to two years ago as being a beneficial development for panel producers.
“Panel prices experienced a strong decline in 2022 but are expected to increase in 2025 as construction recovers.”
Mr Walther pinpointed Asia Pacific to be the strongest growth region going forward driven by exports, but also by regional demand. India and Vietnam were among the countries he highlighted as leading the way.
Earlier in the conference, European Panel Federation board member Philipp Sprockhoff, told delegates that overall prospects for 2024 and 2025 were “not too bad” but remained flat.
The European panels sector registered a 6.3% decline in production output in 2023.
