TIMBER T
he new TDUK Market Briefing brings together economic data, construction forecasts, import statistics and commentary from senior figures across the industry. It has been developed to give businesses a clearer understanding of the challenges and opportunities affecting the timber market in a single, accessible document.
Rather than relying solely on market data, the briefing also includes insight from businesses operating throughout the supply chain. Contributors include representatives from timber merchants, sawmills, timber engineering companies, manufacturers and suppliers, offering an on-the-ground picture of how different parts of the industry are experiencing today’s trading environment. For timber merchants, the report provides useful context behind today’s trading conditions, explaining why customers remain cautious, why buying patterns have changed and how wider economic pressures are influencing demand throughout the construction supply chain. It also explores how merchants and suppliers are responding by focusing on operational efficiency, customer service, stock management and maintaining market visibility while waiting for confidence to return.
Launching the report, David Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Timber Development UK, said confidence has become the defining issue affecting both the timber sector and the wider construction industry.
“Throughout this first Timber Development UK Market Briefing, one message comes through consistently from businesses across the timber supply chain: confidence drives investment, investment drives construction, and construction drives growth. The fundamentals of our sector remain strong, with timber playing an increasingly important role in delivering sustainable, high-quality buildings.”
He added: “The challenge now is to create the conditions that allow that stalled potential to be realised. If we can restore confidence and stimulate demand, the timber industry is well placed to help deliver the homes, jobs and economic growth the UK so badly needs.” The inaugural Q2 2026 edition arrives at a time when confidence continues to weigh heavily on construction activity. While the long-term need for new housing and sustainable, low-carbon building materials remains strong, uncertainty is delaying investment decisions, slowing housing starts and affecting demand across much of the supply chain.
The Market Briefing has been created as 26
TDUK LAUNCHES FIRST-EVER MARKET BRIEFING TO TRACK TIMBER SECTOR PERFORMANCE
Timber Development UK (TDUK) has launched Market Briefing, a twice-yearly publication to provide businesses across the timber supply chain with a concise snapshot of current market conditions and issues shaping the sector.
Left: David Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer of Timber Development UK
an ongoing resource for the industry, with a new edition to
be published every six months. Each report will track changing market conditions while providing a clearer understanding of the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The first edition concludes that 2026 has proved more challenging than many businesses expected. Economic uncertainty, subdued consumer confidence, weak housing activity and geopolitical instability continue to weigh on construction, with many organisations reporting that customers are delaying investment decisions and projects remain slow to progress.
Despite these pressures, the report has still identified reasons for cautious optimism. Timber demand has remained comparatively resilient in several product categories, reflecting the material’s growing role in modern methods of construction and the increasing emphasis on lower-carbon building materials. Contributors consistently express confidence in timber’s long-
term future, despite the difficult short-term trading environment.
The briefing examines the issues currently shaping demand, from housing activity and construction output to cost pressures, geopolitical uncertainty and workforce challenges, while highlighting the longer-term trends that continue to support increased timber use within the built environment. It also brings together construction forecasts, import data, market intelligence and commentary from across the timber supply chain, presented in a single document, allowing readers to gain a broad overview of the market. The Market Briefing is intended to build an ongoing picture of how the timber sector is evolving. TDUK is also encouraging businesses across the supply chain to contribute their views to future editions, helping create an increasingly representative snapshot of the industry. Businesses wishing to read the full TDUK Market Briefing can access it by creating a free Timber Development UK account at
www.timberdevelopment.uk. The report sits alongside a growing library of technical guidance, market intelligence and other industry resources available free to registered users. BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net August 2026
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