World News | 9
Egger Group predicts “subdued” second half of its financial year
Egger Group has closed the first half of its financial year with a 14% increase in consolidated turnover to €2.26bn but is predicting a “subdued” second half, it announced.
On December 21, Egger announced that its financial half-year, ended October 31, 2022, was very strong but cited highly volatile framework conditions placing demands on the manufacturer, with an expectation of a noticeable drop in demand.
The first half of the 2022/23 financial year was characterised by a large number of crises and uncertainties, both economically and politically, said Thomas
Leissing, Egger Group Management Finances/Administration.
“The very strong results of the previous year are due to the extremely high demand as a result of the cocooning effect from the coronavirus crisis and can therefore be classified as exceptional,” he said. “This boom in demand has eased noticeably since spring 2022. We are now seeing a drop in demand in almost all markets. At the same time, we are still confronted with a large number of uncertainties.”
In the first half of 2022/23, EBITDA was €353.7m (26.1% down compared to the same period of the previous year).
Interpol operation results in seizure of over 94,000m3
of illegal timber
A joint Interpol - World Customs Organisation (WCO) law enforcement operation has seen arrests and the disruption of timber crime networks globally.
Codenamed “Thunder 2022”, the month- long operation brought together police, customs, financial intelligence units, wildlife and forestry enforcement agencies from 125 countries - the largest number of countries to take part in a Thunder operation since the series started in 2017. More than 94,000m3
in the operation, including 47,280m3 (17,163 pieces) of rosewood. Almost 47,000m3
was also seized. and 6,764 pieces of other timber
In Southern Africa, Namibian authorities intercepted large amounts of timber before they were smuggled into the region, while Indonesia made two large seizures of timber bound for the Middle East and Asia.
of timber was seized
Through routine inspections and targeted controls, dozens of timber transporters were examined throughout Mongolia. “Thunder operations are important to global security because timber and wildlife trafficking are not just conservation issues – officers lose their lives every year, livelihoods are destroyed, diseases are spread, governments weakened and entire economies destroyed,” said Interpol secretary-general Jürgen Stock.
African mills feel the effects of reduced Chinese demand
African sawmill and plywood facility operators are encountering significant difficulties due to reduction in demand from the Chinese market, according to the latest bulletin from the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO). Mills in Gabon and Congo which concentrate on okoume have reportedly made lay-offs and curtailments, while their stocks are rising due to the reduced demand. Total stock of okoume held in the Gabon Special Economic Zone is estimated at around 300,000m3
.
Mills are searching for new markets and for different timber species to those that the Chinese market demands. The ITTO bulletin says sales of azobe and bilinga have achieved success to some European countries, while further efforts are focusing on padouk and doussie. Meanwhile, higher fuel costs are also making life difficult for the timber sector in West and Central Africa.
Reports from Congo suggest the only
market remaining active for okoume is the Philippines.
The increase in sales is primarily due to the sharp rise in costs for raw materials, energy and logistics, which led to higher sales prices.
“The many uncertainties and crises and their effects on the energy and raw materials markets as well as the massive inflation and the associated loss of purchasing power have caused a noticeable drop in demand.”
Egger predicted the overall economic outlook will remain subject to great uncertainty in the coming months and will continue to be heavily influenced by the challenges on the energy and raw materials markets.
Setra launches partnership with Vasakronan
of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam for a project near Stockholm. It is supplying the wood building element for transformation of a 1970s concrete building into state-of-the-art and more sustainable office space in the Lumi district in Uppsala.
Setra is working with Sweden’s largest real estate company Vasakronan to supply 1,200m3
Setra’s deliveries started in December and the project involves six beams made of CLT for new floors in three blocks, a new atrium linking the buildings with footbridges made of CLT, and glulam for the roof structure of the atrium. “This is the first time we’ve worked with
Vasakronan, and it’s been great,” said Theres Jansson, sales representative for Setra’s building solutions. “They have a clear environmental and sustainability profile and are at the forefront of the circular economy and reuse,” she added.
“By using timber beams made of cross- laminated timber instead of concrete, we save weight,” explained Vasakronan’s project manager Jonas Wahlström. “And as we’re dismantling the concrete facade at the same time, there’s no need for underpinning.”
Lumi will consist of three blocks connected by an atrium. There will be a total of seven floors with approximately 15,500m2
of office space.
www.ttjonline.com | January/February 2023 | TTJ
World News
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