The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) states that in the third quarter of 2018 beech lumber exports from Germany to China decreased by 11% in comparison to the previous year to a figure of 38,227m³. Generally, exports from Germany to China were represented by long-term contracts directly with China processors.
Exports of Swedish softwood timber and planed products in September 2018 decreased by almost 8% (to a total of 1.019 m m³) compared to the same period of 2017. Supplies to most regions, except North America and Oceania, didn’t match the respective figures of the previous year.
During the first nine months of 2018 sawmill industry of Finland produced around 8.810m m³ of softwood lumber, which is 1.5% more than in the same period of 2017.
Log felling in Russia increased by 9% year-on-year to 115.4m m³ in the first half of the current year. According to the Russian forestry authority Rosleshos, in 2017 the total volume remained stable at 212.4m m³ in comparison to the previous year.
In the second quarter of 2018, Latvian producers exported 762,900 m³ of sawn and planed softwood lumber; this means a minus of 2 % in comparison with the same period of the preceding year. Obviously, the decline of 15 % noticed in the first quarter has weakened.
Sawn timber production in Belarus grew by 19% to 3.274m m³ in 2018 in comparison with the year before. Production volumes have been increasing permanently since 2013 (2.630m m³). In 2011, the second highest volume during the past seven years was reached at 2.808m m³.
During the first quarter of 2018, sawmills in Germany produced around 4.412 million m³ of sawn coniferous lumber, which is 2.8 % more than in the same period of 2017.
With a total of 3.088 m m³, China imported 64% more European softwood lumber last year than in 2016.
According to Finnish Pellervo Economic Research Institute’s (PTT) expectations, production of Finnish softwood timber will increase by 4-5 % comparing to the same period of 2017.
An increase in felling activity in the beginning of 2018 comparing to 2017, is happening due to the growth of log prices in Finland.