Statistics: TDUK Timber Imports | 13
IMPORTS LAG BEHIND Latest stats from the TDUK show import volumes this year-to-date lagging over last year’s SUMMARY
■May 2024 was the highest volume month to date this year
■Sweden, Latvia and Finland all exceeded the softwood volume supplied in May 2023
■Hardwood imports were down 9.9% in January-May year-on-year
■China accounted for 71% of hardwood plywood volume imports in January-May this year
imports were down 4.6% year-on-year, with cumulative volume at 108,000m3 114,000m3
(2023: ).
lower than over the same period in 2023. Latvia alone accounted for 12,500m3 of the reduction – it’s share of supply halving from 13% in January-May 2023 to 7% in January-May this year as a consequence. Tropical hardwood imports were down around 1,000m3
TDUK notes that hardwood imports in the first five months of 2024 were around 20,000m3
in the year-on-year
comparison, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Malaysia sending around 1,500m3
In the first five months of 2024, solid wood imports were 4.4% lower than over the same period in 2023 and imports of wood-based panel products were 4.2% lower. This is according to the Timber Development UK in its Timber Statistics, Industry Facts & Figures, August 2024, which goes on to say that May 2024 was the highest volume month to date this year, at 897,000m3
, some 7% higher than May 2024. Softwood volumes from January-May this year were down 4% year-on-year, with cumulative volume at 2,464,000m3 2,566,000m3
May last year was also the high point of 2023, although volumes then were close to 969,000m3
(2023: ).
, with this relatively strong performance driven by the top three supplying countries – Sweden, Latvia and Finland – all exceeding the volume supplied in May 2023.
The month of May saw volumes above 600,000m3
Softwood Imports by Main Country, Jan-May 2024/2023
Having said that, cumulatively, Sweden and Finland have supplied less in 2024 to date, by 6% and 15% respectively. Volume from Latvia is up by 10% and from the Republic of Ireland by 4%. Sweden’s share of softwood supply to the UK slipped from 51% in January-May 2023 to 50% in the same period this year. Total hardwood imports were down 9.9% in the January-May year-on-year comparison, with cumulative volume at 180,000m3 200,000m3
(2023: ).
Tropical hardwood imports were down 2.9% in January-May year-on-year, with cumulative volume at 35,000m3 36,000m3
(2023: ), while temperate hardwood
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 | September/October 2024 | TTJ
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
0 5
51.0 50.0 Sweden
14.0 16.0 Latvia
13.0 12.0 Finland
7.0 7.0 Germany
7.0 7.0 Irish Republic
the Congo Republic and Poland collectively sending 3,200m3
less between them – and Cameroon, more.
Total plywood imports were down 4% in the January-May year-on-year comparison period, with cumulative volume at 537,000m3 (2023: 560,000m3
). .
Within that, hardwood plywood imports were up 3.4%, with cumulative volume from January-May this year at 373,000m3 360,000m3
(2023: ).
in 2024 to date – and increasing its share of supply to the UK from 69% in January-May 2023 to 71% in the first five months of this year in the process.
The growth has been driven almost entirely by China, with a total increase of more than 14,000m3
Latvia also increased its volume supply – by just over 2,500m3
.
Softwood plywood imports were down by 17.5% in the January-May year-on-year comparison, with cumulative volume at 165,000m3
(2023: 199,000m3 ).
Softwood plywood imports from Brazil were 17% down, those from China were 15% down and those from Finland were 30% down. The only leading country of supply to have increased volumes of softwood plywood to the UK was Canada, with a 17% increase. This was from a low base.
Chipboard imports were down 2.4% in the January-May comparison, with cumulative volume at 251,000m3
(2023: 257,000m3 ).
The main contributor to the reduction was Germany, supplying 15,000m3
to the UK in the year to date. France also supplied less in the year to date – down by 3,500m3
from Spain”, reports the TDUK. OSB imports were down by 5.3% in the January-May year-on-year comparison, with cumulative volume at 180,000m3 190,000m3
. These losses were in part counter- balanced by increases from Belgium and Portugal and “a significant increase of 13,000m3
(2023:
). MDF imports were down 4% in the January-May year-on-year comparison, with cumulative volume at 258,000m3 263,000m3
). ■ (2023: less chipboard
2022 2023
% of Total
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