The growth of all timber and panel imports in May this year was 58% higher than in May 2020 – the second month of the first lockdown, according to the latest figures from the Timber Trade Federation (TTF).

TTF Timber Statistics Industry Facts & Figures, August 2021 goes on to say that in the first five months of 2021, solid wood imports were 50% up on the same period in 2020, while imports of panel products were 28% higher. It adds that “growth rates will begin to normalise in the second half of 2021 as lockdown influences begin to reduce”.

Softwood imports from January-May this year were up 52.2% on the same period last year, with cumulative volume at 3,290,000m3 (2020: 2,161,000m3). This figure is influenced by the low volumes in the lockdown months of April and May, 2020.

Growth has been fuelled by a 130% growth in volume from Finland, an 118% growth in volume from Germany, a 51% growth from Latvia and a 27% growth from Sweden. Russian volumes were up 7%, while volumes from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) remained about the same.

The value of all softwood imports in the January-May period was 112% up on the same period in 2020.

Hardwood imports were up 18% on the comparison period, with cumulative volume from January-May 2021 at 202,000m3 (2020: 171,000m3).

The TTF notes that this growth in hardwood imports has been driven by lower-priced temperate species, much of it sourced from the Baltic states and the ROI. Latvia’s share of supply to the UK has risen to 12%, up from 7% last year, Lithuania’s has risen to 5% (from 2%) and ROI’s has risen to 7% (from virtually zero).

Europe remains the dominant source of hardwood for the UK, with volume growth of 28% and accounting for 68% of all UK hardwood imports.

Total plywood imports increased by 12.5% in the year-on-year comparison periods, with cumulative volume from January-May at 680,000m3 (2020: 604,000m3).

Within that, hardwood plywood imports were up 25.3%, with cumulative volume from January-May at 456,000m3 (2020: 364,000m3).

With the exception of Russia, all the leading countries of supply contributed to this increase. For example, volume from Finland increased threefold, tripling its market share from 3% to 9%. Imports from China were up 25%, from Indonesia 29% and Malaysia 13%. Shipments from Russia were down by more than a third.

Conversely, softwood plywood imports were down – by 6.8%. Cumulative volume from January-May was 224,000m3 (2020: 241,000m3).

This drop is almost entirely due to lower volumes from Brazil, which has seen its market share drop from 71% to 61%. China and Finland shipped “substantially more volume” to the UK in the first five months of 2021, more than doubling their market share – China’s from 4% to 11% and Finland’s from 6% to 11%.

Chipboard imports were up 21.2%, with cumulative volume from January-May at 266,000m3 (2020: 220,000m3).

Germany, Belgium and Portugal made the greatest contributions to the increased volume, while France has lagged behind. In fact, France’s market share of supply has dropped from 23% to 14% in the year-on-year comparison period.

OSB imports have surged upwards by 84.4%, with the provisional cumulative volume from January-May at 218,000m3 (2020: 118,000m3). Exports were down by 5.9% in the comparison periods.

MDF imports were up 46%. Cumulative volume from January-May was 351,000m3 (2020: 241,000m3). Exports were up 23.3%.