According to the recent Timber Trade Federation (TTF) Timber Statistics Facts & Figures for August 2020, the fall in volume of timber and panel imports into the UK because of the Covid-19 pandemic continued in May and were 36% below the May 2019 figure. This followed a 40% reduction in April 2020.
The report points out that although April was the first month to feel the full impact of the lockdown, volumes had fallen for the 13 months preceding this. In fact, it says, the last month of growth was in March 2019.
Softwood imports in the January to May year-on-year comparison periods were down 26.6%, with cumulative volume to January to May at 2,139,000m3 (2019: 2,915,000m3). Supply from Sweden, Latvia and Russia were down 19%, 17% and 5% respectively, but despite this their share of supply increased – Sweden from 41% in 2019 to 45% in 2020; Latvia from 18% to 20%; and Russia from 5% to 6%.
Finland (down 52%), Germany (down 29%) and Ireland (down 32%) all saw their share of the UK’s import volumes decline.
The value of softwood imports for the five months to May 2020 was lower by £226m on the same period last year. Sawn softwood was down by £141m (39%) and planed softwood was down £85m (34%).
Hardwood imports were down by 27.2% in the comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-May at 166,000m3 (2019: 228,000m3).
All the leading countries of supply exported less during the five-month period, with Estonia and Latvia continuing to experience the largest falls in volume – 45% and 40% respectively.
All plywood imports were down 15.9% in the comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-May at 601,000m3 (2019: 714,000m3).
Within this total, hardwood plywood volume was down 13.3%, with cumulative volume from January-May at 361,000m3 (2019: 416,000m3).
Two supplying countries, Russia and Malaysia, saw significant growth in volume in the first five months of the year – up 10% and 28% respectively. This meant that Russia increased its market share from 8% to 10% in the comparison periods while Malaysia’s was up from 5% to 8%. At 61%, China still maintains its dominant market share.
Meanwhile, softwood plywood volume was down 19.4%, with cumulative volume from January-May at 240,000m3 (2019: 298,000m3).
The reduction in volume was almost entirely accounted for by significant drops in shipments from China (down 76%) and Finland (down 61%). As a consequence, their share of volume into the UK dropped dramatically – China’s from 13% to 4% and Finland’s from 13% to 6%.
Brazil increased its share of the softwood plywood supply to the UK from 61% to 71%, despite actually supplying 6% less volume in January-May 2020 compared to the same period last year.
The TTF points out that monthly imports of softwood plywood have been very volatile. For example, the first three months of 2020 saw an average fall of around 40%, while April and May have seen an increase of 80%.
Chipboard volume was down 43.2% in the year-on-year comparison period, with cumulative volume from January-May at 217,000m3 (2019: 381,000m3).
Italy is the only leading supplier country to increase its volume to the UK, which has seen its share rise from 2% in January-May 2019 to 5% in January-May this year. It’s worth noting, however, that this increase in volume is from a very low base.
The market leaders, Germany and France, each exported around 55,000m3 less to the UK between January-May this year.
May was the worst month for chipboard imports for 10 years, the TTF stats say – 24,000m3 in May this year compared to an average monthly volume in 2019 of around 70,000m3.
OSB imports were down in volume by 25.9%, with cumulative volume from January-May at 119,000m3 (2019: 161,000m3).
MDF imports were down by a very similar percentage – 25.5% – with cumulative volume from January-May at 227,000m3 (2019: 305,000m3).
