After making gains last year, EU imports of tropical veneer have continued to rise in 2017, hitting 40,000 metric tonnes (MT) in the first quarter, a 15% increase compared to the same period in 2016. As in 2016, most gains were in imports from Gabon, which increased 28% to 21,700 MT in the first quarter of 2017. EU veneer imports also increased from several smaller supplying countries including Congo (+18% to 2,900 MT), DRC (+187% to 1,400 MT) and Equatorial Guinea (+45% to 1,400 MT). However, imports declined from Côte d’Ivoire (-19% to 6,600 MT), Cameroon (-1% to 3,000 MT), and Ghana (-12% to 1,500 MT). (Chart 1).
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The slowdown in EU imports of tropical timber products registered in the second half of 2016 continued into the first quarter of 2017. Twelve monthly rolling average imports, which peaked at just below €196 million in June 2016, had slipped to €193 million by March 2017. Most of the rise and subsequent slowdown in EU tropical imports in the 24 months prior to 2017 was driven by sawn wood. Imports of other product groups remained relatively more stable during this period (Chart 1).
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