Brazilian exports of solid wood products declined 38% in March compared to a year earlier.
The International Tropical Timber Organisation’s latest market report showed the value of solid timber products exported during the month was worth US$196.1m, compared with US$318.7m in March 2008.
Tropical plywood was the biggest loser with a 72.2% fall to US$15.1m, followed by a 53.9% drop for tropical sawnwood to US$21.3m and pine plywood (-46.7%).
Brazil is attempting to diversify overseas export markets and grow domestic business, as shipments to major markets such as North America have contracted since the onset of the global downturn.
Meanwhile, IBAMA, in association with the police and army, are continuing to target illegal sawmilling operations in the Amazon, with a number of mills in Pará ordered to stop cutting timber because they had no forest management plans.
Wood product output in Pará has fallen dramatically and an estimated 10,000 people have lost their jobs in the wood processing sector in the region.
Difficulties in obtaining new permits for forest products transportation has hit the mills’ activity since the federal government’s crackdown on illegal timber operations started.
