Month: May 2015

The European construction and joinery sectors continue to recover slowly. The rate of recovery in the UK, which was rapid in 2014, weakened again in the first quarter of 2015. However there is confidence that the UK market will pick up again over the summer months. The large German market remains stable with good consumption. There is improving activity in the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Belgium. The Italian and French construction markets are still weak and declining but there are signs of improving economic conditions in both countries. Imports of finished joinery products from outside the EU increased slightly in 2014, but the weak euro is acting as a drag on imports in 2015.

The EU imported tropical wood products worth €517 million in the first three months of this year, a healthy increase of 20.9% compared to the same period in 2014. To some extent the strong growth figures for the first quarter of 2015 are due to particularly weak imports in the same period the previous year.  The increase in the euro value of imports also needs to be seen against the background of the very weak euro on currency exchange markets. The euro was at its lowest level ever against the US dollar in the first quarter of 2015 and around 30% down compared to the same period the previous year.