UK Tropical Wood Import Value in April at Highest Level Since 2008-09 Financial Crises. ITTO European Market Report 30th June 2021

The UK imported tropical wood and wood furniture products with a total value of USD419 million in the first four months of 2021, an 18% increase compared to the same period in 2020. There was a particularly sharp increase in April when imports were USD129 million, the highest monthly import value recorded since before the financial crises of 2008-2009. 

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Survey Highlights Benefits of FLEGT Licensing to European Market Prospects. ITTO European Market Report 15th June 2021

A survey of over 130 companies in the EU+UK, including a significant proportion of the region’s largest importers of tropical timber products, highlights that FLEGT licensing has helped boost market prospects for Indonesian products. It also shows that implementation of the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and associated rising dependence on certified products has led to a narrowing in the range of tropical companies supplying the region overall. 

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EU27 Tropical Wood Product Imports Close to Decade High in March. ITTO European Market Report 31st May 2021

EU27 import value of tropical wood and wood furniture products was US$861 million in the first three months of this year, 6% more than the same period in 2020. After a slow start to the year in January and February, imports surged to US$327 million in March, only the second time since 2012 that monthly imports have exceeded US$325 million (the only other occurrence being in April 2019) (Chart 1). 

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UK Tropical Wood Imports Recover Ground Despite Supply Challenges. ITTO European Market Report 15th May 2021

The UK imported tropical wood and wood furniture products with a total value of US$290 million in Q1 2021, a 2% increase compared to the previous quarter and 6% up on Q1 2020 (even before the effects of the COVID pandemic were being felt – Chart 1). The strong performance in the first three months of this year reflect both a robust rise in consumption in the UK, supported by strong government stimulus measures, and the late arrival of delayed shipments from the previous year. The rise occurred despite severe logistical problems that have emerged in shipment of tropical wood products to the UK since the start of the pandemic. 

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Proposals for FLEGT and EUTR to Be Merged With EU “deforestation-free” Regulations. ITTO European Market Report 15th April 2021

The EU is considering the introduction of new forest and climate policy measures which would reshape timber trade relations with tropical countries. In some ways, the proposed measures build on the existing policy framework contained in the FLEGT Action Plan. However, they also raise questions about the future of existing instruments such as the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR) and FLEGT licensing systems.

The potential far-reaching implications of the ongoing policy discussions were highlighted in a presentation by Hugo Schally of the European Commission’s Environmental Directorate (EC DG ENV) to a webinar hosted by FERN, the Brussels based environmental NGO, on 17 March 2021 which brought together a range of policymakers and civil society stakeholders for presentations and discussions on the theme “Enforcing Due Diligence regulation for forest risk commodities”[1].

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Sharp Fall in UK Tropical Wood Imports in 2020 Likely to Be Short-Lived. ITTO European Market Report 15th March 2021

Total UK tropical wood and wood furniture imports in 2020 were USD981 million, 23% less than the previous year (Chart 1a). It is no surprise that imports fell so precipitously, the UK being amongst the world’s worst affected countries by the COVID-19 pandemic last year at a time when there was already uncertainty due to the country’s departure from the EU. However, UK imports from tropical countries did suffer a larger decline in the UK market than products from other regions, largely due to supply side problems, particularly lack of and rising costs of freight space from South East Asia during the year. But underlying demand is strong in the UK and new opportunities may well open up for tropical suppliers in the UK over the long term.

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Sharp Fall in Tropical Share of European Wood Products Market During Pandemic. ITTO European Market Report 28th February 2021

Despite upheaval in the EU27+UK wood market and wider economy in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the total dollar value of EU27+UK imports of wood (HS44) and wood furniture (HS94) products fell only 4% to US$21.86 billion euro in 2020. In dollar terms, EU27+UK imports in 2020 were higher than during the 2015-2017 period and not significantly out of alignment with the trend of the previous 10 years (Chart 1).

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Unexpected Rise in EU27 Tropical Timber Imports in November. ITTO European Market Report 15th February 2021

Total EU27 (i.e. excluding the UK) import value of tropical wood and wood furniture products was US$2.75 billion between January and November last year, 10% less than the same period in 2019. This is a significantly higher level of import than forecast earlier in the year when the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the continent. Total import value in November was US$263 million, a 4% gain on the previous month and 6% more than the same month in 2019 (Chart 1). 

Continue reading “Unexpected Rise in EU27 Tropical Timber Imports in November. ITTO European Market Report 15th February 2021”
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Rebound in UK Tropical Wood Imports Slows in Closing Months of 2020. ITTO European Market Report 31st January 2021

The rebound in UK imports of tropical wood products as the first wave of the pandemic receded in summer last year slowed in the last quarter of 2020 as the country, like much of the rest of the Europe, reimposed lockdown measures in response to the second larger wave which hit at the start of the winter months. In addition to a slowdown in overall UK business activity at the end of 2020, there are also reports of severe supply problems in the UK building sector, including for products imported from South East Asia and China, due to limited container space and rising freight costs.   

Total value of UK imports of tropical wood and wood furniture months increased only slightly from US$98 million in October to US$100 million in November, but then receded again to US$95 million in November (Chart 1). Total UK tropical wood and wood furniture imports in the 11 months to November 2020 were US$892 million, 23% less than the same period in 2019.

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EU27 Tropical Timber Trade Faces Double Dip Recession. ITTO European Market Report 15th January 2021

Tropical timber logs.

Total EU27 (i.e. excluding the UK) import value of tropical wood and wood furniture products was US$2.48 billion between January and October last year, 12% less than in 2019. This is a significantly higher level of import than forecast earlier in the year when the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the continent leading to widespread lockdowns with severe implications for the EU27 economy and on the supply side in tropical countries.

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