EU hardwood plywood imports down 28% in 2009
Moscow.
Apr 16, 2010. EU imports of hardwood plywood were down 28%
in volume terms during 2009, ITTO reported.
Imports from
Russia, the leading supplier of hardwood (mainly
birch) plywood to the EU, experienced only a
relatively modest decline of 12%. Russian plywood
producers stepped in to fill some of the gap in
Finnish supply with the phased introduction of
Russia’s log export taxes. More European plywood
buyers are switching away from tropical hardwood in
favour of Russian birch product.
During 2009,
China retained its dominant position as the leading
developing world supplier of hardwood plywood to the
EU, although at 530,000 cubic metres the volume is
only half of that attained in 2007.
After significantly expanding share in the European hardwood
plywood market in 2008,
Malaysia lost ground in 2009. Recent trade reports
suggest that declining availability due to
tightening log supply in
Malaysia
is now encouraging more European importers to look
to alternatives, including Russian birch plywood,
alternative panels and non-wood products.
The pace of the long-term decline in European
imports of Indonesian plywood slowed in 2009.
However imports of Indonesian plywood – which
reached only 116,000 cubic metres in 2009 - are a
shadow of levels of around 600,000 cubic metres only
7 years ago. Meanwhile the decline in European
imports of Brazilian hardwood plywood steepened last
year, falling 55% to only 89,000 cubic metres.
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