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Statistics Update: TTF UK Imports | 13


IMPORTS CONTINUE STEEP RISE


Latest TTF stats show imports are still up on last year, but growth rates are expected to normalise SUMMARY


■ Timber and panel imports in May were 58% up on May 2020


■ Figures are infl uenced by the fi rst two months of lockdown


■ The value of all softwood imports in the period was 112% up year- on-year


■ OSB imports have surged upwards by 84.4%


imports has been driven by lower-priced temperate species, much of it sourced from the Baltic states and the ROI. Latvia’s share of supply to the UK has risen to 12%, up from 7% last year, Lithuania’s has risen to 5% (from 2%) and ROI’s has risen to 7% (from virtually zero).


The growth of all timber and panel imports in May this year was 58% higher than in May 2020 – the second month of the first lockdown, according to the latest figures from the Timber Trade Federation (TTF). TTF Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, August 2021 goes on to say that in the first five months of 2021, solid wood imports were 50% up on the same period in 2020, while imports of panel products were 28% higher. It adds that “growth rates will begin to normalise in the second half of 2021 as lockdown influences begin to reduce”. Softwood imports from January-May this year were up 52.2% on the same period last year, with cumulative volume at 3,290,000m3 (2020: 2,161,000m3


). This figure is influenced


by the low volumes in the lockdown months of April and May, 2020.


Growth has been fuelled by a 130% growth in volume from Finland, an 118% growth in volume from Germany, a 51% growth from Latvia and a 27% growth from Sweden. Russian volumes were up 7%, while volumes from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) remained about the same.


The value of all softwood imports in the January-May period was 112% up on the same period in 2020.


Hardwood imports were up 18% on the comparison period, with cumulative volume from January-May 2021 at 202,000m3 171,000m3


). The TTF notes that this growth in hardwood (2020: Softwood Imports by Main Country, Jan - May 2021


10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50


0 5


45.0 37.0 Sweden


20.0 20.0 Latvia


9.0 13.0 Finland


7.0 10.0 Germany


6.0 4.0 Irish Republic


Europe remains the dominant source of hardwood for the UK, with volume growth of 28% and accounting for 68% of all UK hardwood imports. Total plywood imports increased by 12.5% in the year-on-year comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-May at 680,000m3


(2020: 604,000m3 ).


Within that, hardwood plywood imports were up 25.3%, with cumulative volume from January-May at 456,000m3 364,000m3


(2020: ).


With the exception of Russia, all the leading countries of supply contributed to this increase. For example, volume from Finland increased threefold, tripling its market share from 3% to 9%. Imports from China were up 25%, from Indonesia 29% and Malaysia 13%. Shipments from Russia were down by more than a third. Conversely, softwood plywood imports


were down – by 6.8%. Cumulative volume from January-May was 224,000m3 241,000m3


(2020: ).


This drop is almost entirely due to lower volumes from Brazil, which has seen its market share drop from 71% to 61%. China and Finland shipped “substantially more volume” to the UK in the first five months of 2021, more than doubling their market share – China’s from 4% to 11% and Finland’s from 6% to 11%.


Chipboard imports were up 21.2%, with cumulative volume from January-May at 266,000m3


(2020: 220,000m3 ).


Germany, Belgium and Portugal made the greatest contributions to the increased volume, while France has lagged behind. In fact, France’s market share of supply has dropped from 23% to 14% in the year-on- year comparison period.


OSB imports have surged upwards by 84.4%, with the provisional cumulative volume from January-May at 218,000m3 (2020: 118,000m3


). Exports were down by


5.9% in the comparison periods. MDF imports were up 46%. Cumulative volume from January-May was 351,000m3 (2020: 241,000m3


). Exports were up 23.3%. ■


2020 2021


6.0 4.0 Russia


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 | September/October 2021 | TTJ


% of Total


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