Sawn hardwood

Abstract

The decrease in sawn hardwood consumption continues in the UNECE region in 2017, dropping by 3.2% to 34.4 million m³, the lowest value in the last four years. Sawn hardwood production in the UNECE region was relatively flat, at 41.7 million m³, with slight or no increases in Europe and North America and a rise in the CIS. Global demand for hardwood remained strong in 2017, enabling sawn hardwood producers to ship record volumes to markets outside the UNECE region, mainly China. Sawn hardwood exports in the UNECE region reached an all-time high in 2017, increasing by 9.6% to 13.7 million m³. Strong demand for sawn hardwood enabled producers to maintain production. Global demand for hardwood logs was even stronger, with prices up significantly in 2017. European and North American producers are increasingly concerned about a shortage of raw materials caused by increasing Chinese demand for hardwood logs (particularly oak). Outside the UNECE region, the Asia-Pacific region continued to dominate trade in tropical sawn hardwood in 2017, with China the major global importer and Thailand and Malaysia the biggest exporters.

Citation

Luppold, William; Bumgardner, Matthew; Kottwitz, Klaus; Maplesden, Fran; Novoselov, Igor. 2018. Sawn hardwood. In: UNECE/FAO Forest Products Annual Market Review 2017-2018. Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations: 50-61. Chapter 5.