Hike in US hardwood imports
3 November 2021UK imports of US hardwood lumber were up 86% by volume and 72% by value in the first eight months of 2021 according to latest figures from the American Hardwood Export Council.
The UK was by some way the biggest European US hardwood buyer in this period, with total imports up from 56,147m3 in the first eight months of 2020 to 104,199m3. This was just over 4,000m3 below the total for the whole of 2019 and more than the 2016 and 2017 full year totals. By value UK imports in the eight month period were up from US$40.136m to US$68.836m. European imports as a whole in the first eight months of 2021 were up 42% to 273,248m3, worth US$191.599m.
UK imports of US white oak from January to August 2021 were up 113% at 57,025m3. Yellow poplar/tulipwood imports were up 87% at 23,996m3, walnut 82% at 7,890m3, ash 44% at 4,96 m3 and red oak 5% at 4,150m3.