WASHINGTON: The total value of EU imports of wood products was euro17.20 billion in 2015, 12% more than in 2014. This followed an increase of 10% to euro15.3 billion in 2014. In 2015 EU import value was at the highest level since 2008 just before the global financial crises.
The surge in the euro value of imports in 2015 was partly owing to the weakness of the euro which on average was valued around 20% less against the dollar in 2015 compared to 2014. This meant that euro import prices for most products from the Americas and Asia increased. Import volumes also increased across most wood product groups in 2015 but to a lesser extent than euro value.
The euro value of imports increased across all wood product groups in both 2014 and 2015. Imports of wood furniture, which had been declining to 2013, rebounded 10% in 2014 and 13% in 2015 to reach euro5.78 billion. Imports of sawn wood rebounded from a low in 2013, rising 10% in 2014 and 12% in 2015 to reach euro3.04.
Similarly imports of panels (mainly plywood) increased 13% in 2014 and 11% in 2015 to reach euro2.44 billion. The long term rise in imports of energy wood continued in 2015 to reach an all-time high of euro900 million. Imports of other joinery products (mainly doors and LVL for window frames) were flat in 2014 but increased 22% to euro658 million in 2015.
Total imports of wood products from tropical countries increased 15% from euro3.28 billion in 2014 to euro3.78 billion in 2015. This followed a 6% increase between 2013 and 2014. In terms of share of overall EU imports, 2015 was notable for registering the first reversal in the fortunes of tropical countries in the last decade.
The share of tropical countries in total EU wood product import value fell continuously from 35% in 2004 to a low of 21.4% in 2014, before rebounding slightly to 22.0% in 2015. Tropical countries lost share initially to China in the period 2009 to 2010, and then to North American, Russian and non-EU European countries in the period 2011 to 2014.
However in 2015, tropical countries regained a little share in import value mainly at the expense of Russia and nonEU European countries. China’s share in EU imports remained stable at 32.7% in both 2014 and 2015. The recovery in EU imports of tropical wood products in 2014 and 2015 was particularly pronounced for furniture and sawn wood, although there were more minor gains for all other product groups.
EU imports of wood furniture from tropical countries increased 11% to euro1.33 billion in 2014 and by a further 16% to euro1.55 billion in 2015. Imports of sawn wood from tropical countries increased 7% to euro0.87 billion in 2014 and by a further 16% to euro1.02 billion in 2015. Imports of plywood and veneer from tropical countries increased more slowly, by 1.4% to 371 million in 2014 and by 6% to euro394 million in 2015.
The long-term shift in EU tropical wood imports away from primary and secondary wood products in favour of tertiary products continued in 2014 and 2015. The value of tertiary processed tropical wood products imported by the EU increased from 55% of total import value in 2013 to 57% in 2015.
