The figures from Statistics Sweden relate to January-May and show exports to Sweden’s largest single market – the UK – remained similar to last year, with sawn and planed exports reaching 1.148 million m3. Planed exports were also similar at 706,900m3.
But the stats show an increase for the month of May (compared to May, 2015), with sawn and planed exports up 14% and planed exports rising by 10%.
Sweden’s next largest European market, Germany, saw a 4% rise to 445,200m3 for January-May, with Denmark third at 403,100m3 (13% rise).
African markets were subdued, with all the larger importing nations in the region experiencing a reverse in Swedish softwood imports.
China and Japan were the big stories in terms of growth. Swedish sawn and planed softwood exports to China were up 31% to 328,700m3, while in Japan the growth was 19% to 311,600m3.
