BRUSSELS: On the demand side, the most notable trend in EU tropical sawn hardwood imports during 2016 was increasing concentration of trade through Belgium. This trend is much more indicative of changes in distribution channels for tropical wood within the EU than of variations in regional demand.
For reasons probably associated with differences in transit times or local costs, EU tropical wood importers currently prefer the Belgian port of Antwerp over the Dutch and French ports. The wood entering by way of Belgium is being distributed throughout North Western Europe.
The focus on Belgium is also linked to the rising dependence on tropical sawn wood from Central Africa where kiln drying facilities are limited. Much of the African wood shipped into Belgium arrives green and will be kiln dried there, or in Netherlands or northern France, before being distributed into other parts of Europe.
