Increase in US imports from Europe slows down

Reached a total of 1.075m m³, the volume of softwood sawn timber shipped to the USA from the European Union (including Great Britain) during the fourth quarter of 2020 was 49% higher than in the same period of 2019.

After increase rates of 55% in the first, 48% in the second and 79% in the third quarters, imports tailed off again closer to the end of the year, according to the data provided by the US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS).

The volume imported from Germany reached 527,207m³, showing an increase of 27%. To take a proportion of whole US imports from Europe, the volume bought from Germany was still at 49.0% in the fourth quarter of 2020. A sharp increase of 81% to 210,681m³ was registered in the FAS figures for imports from Sweden. Noticeably above-average growth was also shown in imports from Romania, which – at 149,177m³ – almost tripled comparing with the same quarter of 2019. After a poor first half of 2020 and a 7% increase in the third quarter, imports from Canada rose at a more decent rate (+17% to 8.467m m³) closer to the end of 2020.

Information provided according to www.euwid-wood-products.com