US imports of hardwood fell by 5% in April. Total import volume is now down by 4% year to date. Volume from most major trade partners fell in April with imports from Russia, Indonesia and Cambodia all not meeting March levels and lagging behind 2018 year to date, as ITTO reported.
Imports from China, which have been steadily declining for the past several months, rebounded somewhat (32%) from a historically bad March, but are still one-tenth of the volume two or three years ago.
Imports from Vietnam, which had been strong in the 1Q, declined by more than one third in April, but are still strongly outpacing last year’s totals.
