Statistics: TDUK Timber Imports | 13
IMPORTS CONTINUE TO TUMBLE
Latest TDUK stats reveal the impact of good stock levels and weaker market demand on import volumes
SUMMARY
■Total timber imports from January- October were down 22%
■Latvia shipped 31% less softwood to the UK year-on-year
■Hardwood imports were up by 14.3% year-on-year
■China had 68% of the share of hardwood plywood supply to the UK
The value of softwood imports by the end of October had fallen by 19% compared to the first 10 months of 2021. This was generated by a 28% fall in volume and a 13% rise in the average price of softwood imports. Conversely, hardwood imports were up in the comparison period – by 14.3%. Cumulative volume from January-October was 523,000m3
(2021: 458,000m3 ).
This growth was the result of large increases in volume from Latvia (doubled, up by 57,000m3 27,000m3
Imports of solid wood in the 10 months of January to October last year were 25% lower than the same period in 2021, while imports of panel products were 15% lower. Combined, imports were 22% below the corresponding period of 2021 – totalling 8.1 million m3 some 2.3 million m3
, lower.
These are the findings of the latest Timber Development UK report – TDUK Timber Statistics: Industry Facts & Figures, January 2023. The report goes on to say that the weaker volumes of timber and panels imported by the UK since last spring – brought about by good stock levels and reduced market demand – has resulted in month-on-month comparisons to 2021 remaining mostly negative. This continued in the month of October, when import volumes were nearly 30% lower than in October 2021. Softwood imports for the January-October year-on-year comparison period were down 27.8% at 4,909,000m3
(2021; 6,799,000m3 ).
The TDUK notes that the greatest volume loss was from Latvia, lower by around 440,000m3
,
or 31% below the same period in 2021. The percentage loss in volume from Sweden was less than half of the total percentage loss, which resulted in a sharp increase in the country’s share of supply – up from 34% to 41%.
Of the leading suppliers, only the Republic of Ireland increased volumes to the UK in 2022, resulting in its market share doubling.
) and from France (up 71%, up by
). This was countered by a 17% loss in volumes from the US and Italy. The TDUK notes that the UK’s appetite for French oak continued strongly in 2022, accounting for the majority of the increase in volume from France. Total plywood imports were down by 13.2% with cumulative volume from January- October at 1,171,000m3
(2021:1,349,000m3 (2021: 942,000m3 ). ).
Hardwood plywood imports were down 9.6%, with cumulative volume from January- October at 851,000m3
The drop is the result of losses in volume from the smaller (in volume terms) leading suppliers. Imports from China increased by
, resulting in the country’s share of the UK’s supply of hardwood plywood rising from 60% in the first 10 months of 2021, to 68% in the equivalent 2022 period. Softwood plywood imports in the period were down by 21.5%, with cumulative volume from January-October at 320,000m3 408,000m3
11,000m3 (2021: ).
The top three exporting countries to the UK – Brazil, China and Finland – each shipped less to the UK to date, by 19%, 21% and 16% respectively.
Chipboard imports were down by 5.2%, with cumulative volume from January- October at 555,000m3
(2021: 585,000m3 ).
Germany and France each accounted for 25% of UK chipboard imports in the first 10 months of 2022. However, while volumes from France increased by 48% in 2022, those from Germany declined by 29%. Imports of OSB to the UK were down by 28.2%, with cumulative volume from January-October at 299,000m3 (2021:416,000m3
by 16.7%, with cumulative volume from January-October at 624,000m3 749,000m3
). ■ Softwood Imports by Main Country, Jan-Oct 2022/2021
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
0 5
34.0 41.0 Sweden
21.0 20.0 Latvia
13.0 13.0 Finland
11.0 8.0 Germany
4.0 8.0 Irish Republic
). MDF imports were down (2021:
2021 2022
5.0 1.0 Russia
The TDUK is the UK’s foremost membership body for the timber supply chain. Its members constitute timber importers, merchants, agents and manufacturers and account for around two-thirds of the £10bn UK timber industry.
www.ttjonline.com | January/February 2023 | TTJ
% of Total
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