Statistics: TDUK Timber Imports | 13
IMPORTS UP IN Q4 Latest TDUK stats show increase in imports in Q4 SUMMARY
■ Import volumes in November 2024 were up +11% on November 2023
■ Softwood imports in January- November were up +0.5% year-on- year
■ China accounted for 72% of UK hardwood plywood imports in the first 11 months of 2024
Temperate hardwood imports were down -3.6%, with cumulative volume for January- November at 237,000m3
(2023: 246,000m3 ).
UK imports in the fourth quarter of 2024 were substantially higher than the same period in 2023 – an improvement that has sharply reduced the overall deficit over last year to 0.2%, or approximately 20,000m3
.
These are the findings of the latest import figures compiled by Timber Development UK (TDUK) – Timber Statistics, Industry Facts & Figures February 2025.
TDUK goes on to point out that import volumes in the month of November 2024 were 11% higher than in November 2023. This followed a 15% improvement in October 2024 over October 2023.
Softwood imports in the January- November year-on-year comparison periods were up +0.5%, with cumulative volume at 5,433,000m3
(2023: 5,404,000m3 ).
The volume of softwood imports by the end of November 2024 was marginally higher than over the 11 months of 2023, which TDUK notes is the first time in 2024 that year-to-date growth had been recorded. A number of supplying countries outside of the leading group supplied significantly more volume to the UK in 2024, including Norway, Austria, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Canada. Volumes also increased from Latvia and the Republic of Ireland. These increases marginally outweighed the lower volumes from Sweden, Finland, Germany and others in 2024. Total hardwood imports from January- November were down -2.7% year-on-year, with cumulative volume at 413,000m3 424,000m3
(2023: ).
Tropical hardwood imports were down -3.5%, with cumulative volume for January- November at 77,000m3
(2023: 80,000m3 ).
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 | March/April 2025 | TTJ
Hardwood import volume was higher in October and in November compared to the same months in 2023, with the Baltic states and Romania being the main drivers of this. Volume from Latvia was 14% higher in 2024 to date, volume from Estonia was 8% higher and volume from Romania was up 9%. Volume from France was similar to 2023 but overall hardwood volumes were dragged lower by significantly lower volumes from the US and Cameroon. Total plywood imports were up +1.8%, year-on-year, with cumulative volume from January-November at 1,124,000m3 1,105,000m3
(2023: ).
Within that, imports of hardwood plywood were up +1.6%, with cumulative volume at 806,000m3
(2023: 791,000m3 ).
Imports from China fuelled this growth, with a year-on-year increase of just over 30,000m3
. This saw its share of supply over
the 11-month period rise from 69% in 2023 to 72% last year. Latvia also increased its hardwood plywood shipments to the UK – by 3,000m3
– but there were losses from other supplying countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Finland, Spain, Italy and Belgium. Softwood plywood imports in the year-
on-year comparison were up +1%, with cumulative volume for January-November at 317,000m3
(2023: 314,000m3 ).
Volumes rose sharply in October and November on previous months in 2024 but are set against very weak volumes in November and December 2023.
Brazil’s share of supply to the UK fell from 65% in first 11 months of 2023 to 62% in the same period of 2024, while China’s rose from 7% to 12%. China is now level pegging with Finland in terms of supply of softwood ply to the UK in the first 11 months of 2024. This represents 69% year-on-year growth from China in January-November 2024. Chipboard imports were down -5.1% in the year-on-year comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-November at 542,000m3
(2023: 571,000m3 ). Spain exported around 15,000m3 more
in the 11 months and Belgium 10,000m3 more, while Portugal increased its volumes to the UK by nearly 2,000m3
volumes were offset by reductions from France and Germany.
year, with cumulative volume to January- November at 432,000m3
OSB imports were up +5.5% year-on- (2023: 409,000m3
).
year, with cumulative volume from January- November at 665,000m3
MDF imports were down -7.2% year-on- (2023: 717,000m3
Softwood Imports by Main Country, Jan-Nov 2024/2023
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
0 5
48.0 47.0 Sweden
16.0 17.0 Latvia
14.0 13.0 Finland
8.0 8.0 Germany
7.0 8.0 Irish Republic ). ■ . However, these
2023 2024
% of Total
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