Statistics Update: TTF UK Imports | 13
TWO HALVES A YEAR OF The latest TTF statistics reveal the recovery of import volumes in the second half of 2020 SUMMARY ■ A total of 4.9 million m3 was imported from August to December
■ Softwood imports were up 2.9% last year on 2019
■ Poland increased hardwood shipments to the UK by 10%
■ Chipboard imports in 2020 were down 31.4% on the previous year
Conversely, hardwood imports were 15% down on 2020, with cumulative volume at 441,000m3
(2019: 519,000m3 ).
All the leading countries of supply delivered less to the UK, with the exception of Poland, which saw a 10% increase in total volume and a doubling of its oak volume. Tropical hardwood imports fell by 27% and in 2020 accounted for 16% of total hardwood imports, down from 19% in 2019. Total plywood imports were down by 6.2%, with cumulative volume for the year at 1,362,000m3
(2019: 1,453,000m3
The latest Timber Trade Federation (TTF) statistics reveal the remarkable turnaround in timber and panels imports in the second half of 2020.
TTF Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, March 2021 show the provisional full year data for 2020 and indicate that between January and May of that year, import volume was 26% below the same period in 2019. By the year end, however, improved second half volumes had reduced the deficit over 2019 to just under 3%.
A total of 4.9 million m3 was imported
between the months of August and December 2020, with the next best volume over this period being back in 2006, when volumes reached 4.8 million m3
.
Softwood imports in the January-December year-on-year comparison period were up 2.9%, with cumulative volume for the year at 6,580,000m3
(2019: 6,394,000m3 ).
While volumes from the leading supplier countries in the first half of 2020 were substantially below those of 2019, Sweden, Latvia, Germany and Russia ended the year having exported more softwood to the UK than in the whole of 2019.
The largest gain in volume came from Latvia, which increased its share of supply from 18% in 2019 to 20% in 2020. The value of softwood imports in 2020 increased, although by less than 1%. The value of planed goods rose by 2.9% and sawn softwood values fell by 1.5%.
Softwood Imports by Country, Jan - Dec 2020/2019
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
0 5
42.0 41.0 Sweden
18.0 20.0 Latvia
14.0 12.0 Finland
7.0 8.0 Germany
5.0 6.0 Russia
).
Within that, hardwood plywood imports were down by 4.7%, with cumulative volume for the year at 900,000m3
(2019: 944,000m3 ).
Increases in shipments from China (up 5%) and Malaysia (up 23%) offset the lower volumes from all the other main supplying countries. Imports of Russian hardwood ply were down 15% and those from Finland and Indonesia were down 30%.
Softwood plywood imports were down 9.2%, with cumulative volume for the year at 462,000m3
(2019: 509,000m3 ).
Despite a small fall in volume, Brazil increased its share of supply to 61% of the total – up from 57% in 2019. Other countries
saw much steeper drops in shipments to the UK – China down 39%, Finland down 34% and France down 17%.
Chipboard imports continued to be the hardest hit in 2020, with volume for the year 31.4% down on 2019. Cumulative volume for January-December 2020 was 581,000m3 (2019: 848,000m3). Around 250,000m3
less chipboard was
imported by the UK in 2020, with all the leading supplying countries shipping less but France and Germany accounting for the lion’s share – nearly 200,000m3
between them.
OSB imports were up 3.5% in the year-on- year comparison periods, with cumulative volume January-December 2020 at 413,000m3 (2019: 399,000m3
).
Meanwhile, OSB exports from the UK were up 9.5% on 2019, with cumulative volume January-December at 160,000m3 147,000m3
(2019: ).
MDF imports were down 5.6%, with cumulative volume for 2020 at 680,000m3 (2019: 720,000m3
).
MDF exports from the UK for the year were up 3% on 2019, with cumulative volume for January-December 2020 at 51,000m3 49,000m3
(2019: ). ■
2019 2020
Irish Republic 6.0 5.0
The TTF 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 | March/April 2021 | TTJ
% of Total
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