BRASÍLIA: Brazil’s December 2015 exports of wood-based products (except pulp and paper) fell 12.4% in value compared to December 2014, from $263.1 million to $230.6 million, ITTO reported.
Pine sawnwood export values increased 27% in December rising from $ 21.4 million in 2014 to $ 27.2 million in Decmber 2015. In terms of volume, December exports increased 46% year on year over (90,800 cubic metres to 132,300 cubic metres).
On the other hand, tropical sawnwood exports fell 34% in volume, from 38,000 cubic metres in December 2014 to 25,100 cubic metres in December 2015. The decline was more pronounced in terms of value where year on year December exports fell 47% from $22.5 million to $ 12 million.
The growth in value of pine plywood exports could not match the success of pine sawnwood and declined 12% in value in December 2015 compared to December 2014 (from $43.8 million to $38.4 million). But, the volume of pine plywood exports increased 25.5% underlining the weakness in plywood demand at the end of last year.
In contrast to the trends in pine plywood exports, tropical plywood exports increased significantly in volume and in value, from 6,300 cubic metres ($3.4 million) in December 2014 to 135,800 cubic metres ($43.5 million) in December 2015.
The much hoped for recovery in demand from Argentina has not yet been achieved and as a result wooden furniture exports fell from $41.5 million in December 2014 to $37.3 million in December 2015, a 10% drop.