Comment | 3
COMMENT
As I was writing this column, England was riding the wave of euphoria following the exploits of its national football team. Having something to celebrate
with other people across the UK has been in short supply in the last 16 months and I hope I’m not putting the knockers on the positivity by saying (written before the semi-final) that we
could actually end up in the final against arguably the best team in the tournament thus far – Italy. Ultimately, whether we will have succeeded in erasing
‘55 years of hurt’, with all the pressure of “this being the best chance ever”, will have already been decided by the time you read this column. Hopefully, flags will still be flying proudly and we have not been undone by an Italian, Spanish (or even Danish) masterclass! Something that is proving to be increasingly in short
supply, of course, is timber. Multiple reports in this issue of TTJ detail the ongoing challenges with supply shortages in the timber supply chain across Europe. European sawmillers gathering for an online meeting
highlighted the issue on June 24 (pp9) Our softwood market report on pp18-19 details how on
top of production constraints caused by fibre shortages and the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, there are now extra hold ups on the supply side due to shortages of freight space, which are thwarting some sawmills’ best efforts to catch up with contract balances. Meanwhile, in our France sector focus coverage, some
French sawmills are at risk of closing due to lack of raw material – with Chinese buyers aggressively increasing their European log buying. The French Timber Federation
TTJ – the voice of the timber Industry
says the subject is of strategic importance for the entire European wood industry, with potential ramifications down the supply
chain.It is working on legal solutions and lobbying. Our latest MDF market report shows MDF demand
is outstripping supply by 20-30%, with allocations expected to remain in place until spring or early summer next year. And in hardwood, TTJ correspondents describe
availability as driving prices ever higher. With container rates roughly five times the cost of a
year ago, it’s a sign of the times that a first breakbulk vessel carrying timber out of Port Klang Malaysia to the UK for decades has unloaded at Tilbury. Moving away from timber supply challenges, I want to
highlight the 25th anniversary TTJ Awards taking place on September 17. We are announcing the venue – the Nobu Portman Square – in this issue (see pp62-63). And we’ve confirmed the host and guest speaker as
sports presenter Jason Mohammad (Radio5Live 606, Final Score, Match of the Day2 & Six Nations coverage). Voting and judged entries are open until July 22 – see
https://awards-ttj.ttjonline.com for more details and how to attend or sponsor the event.
GROUP EDITOR
www.ttjonline.com
► MARKET REPORTS Regular market reports covering chipboard, fencing & pallets, plus plywood & OSB. We look at supply and demand, pricing and factors influencing the market.
► COUNTRY FOCUS: BRITAIN Our annual sector focus covering the UK sawmilling sector in detail. Sally Spencer talks to the mills and sees how they have fared during the pandemic, as well as their news and market hopes for the remainder of 2021 and beyond.
► CUSTOMER REPORT: FURNITURE An in-depth look at the UK furniture sector, checking how suppliers and manufacturers currently view the market and what investments have been taking place.
► TTJ AWARDS SUPPLEMENT Our annual TTJ Awards supplement detailing this year’s 25th anniversary event with information on our sponsors.
► PLUS REGULARS
Latest UK and world news; technical news; comment from industry figures; and latest appointments.
www.ttjonline.com | July/August 2021 | TTJ
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