Indonesia now leads the EU and UK markets for plywood and woodworking products.
Indonesia overtook China, which previously dominated the plywood market, and shifted Brazil, which previously dominated the woodworking market.
This is the latest data released by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) as quoted by forestinsights.id, Monday 4 April 2022.
ITTO data shows that the import value of EU & UK plywood products in 2021 is US$312 million, up 31% compared to 2020 but equal to 2019.
In volume, imports of 474,600 m3 in 2021 were up 3% compared to 2020 but 18% down compared to 2019.
Meanwhile, the average price of imported tropical plywood increased 27% from the previous year to US$658 per m3.
The increase was due to international prices that continued to creep up as well as a surge in freight costs. In addition, there is a shift in imported products, from low-priced low-quality plywood to higher-quality products originating from Indonesia, Gabon, and Morocco.
Indonesia shipped 153,400 m3 of tropical wood plywood to EU & UK in 2021. This means that Indonesia has overtaken China as the leader in the EU & UK market.
In 2021 China supplied 138,500 m3 of tropical plywood to the EU+UK, 26% down from 2020 and 48% lower than 2019.
For carpentry products (moulding and decking), Indonesia is now also the leader in the EU & UK market.
Woodworking imports from Indonesia were 69,500 tons in 2021, up 16% higher than the previous year and 10% higher than 2019.
Indonesia overtook Brazil, whose supply continued to decline. In 2021 EU+UK woodworking was recorded at 68,300 tonnes, 10% lower than in 2020 and 16% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
In 2021, the value of EU & UK woodworking imports worth US$350 million, an increase of 25% and 6% compared to 2020 and 2019.
In terms of quantity, imports of 190,100 tonnes in 2021 were 7% higher than in 2020 but down 2% compared to 2019.
Meanwhile, the average price of woodworking imported from EU & UK in 2021 is US$1,840 per tonne, an increase of 17% compared to the previous year.
This sharp increase in the average price is indicative of a significant supply shortage and an increase in shipping prices at a time when demand is booming in Europe. ***
