The European Union's plywood imports remained flat in the first half of 2024, staying at 1.33 million m3, nearly unchanged from the previous year. Despite stable volumes, the value of imports fell by 7.9% to $660 million, driven by an 8.3% drop in the average price of plywood to $496 per m3. Prices fluctuated throughout the period, starting at $451 per m3 in January and ending at $508 per m3 in June, indicating partial recovery from early lows, according to Lesprom Analytics.
Brazil and China continued to dominate the EU's plywood imports, with Brazil holding a 37% share and China 33%. Brazilian shipments fell by 1.7% to 492 thousand m3, while Chinese imports rose by 6.7% to 436 thousand m3. Other key suppliers saw notable changes in export volumes: Ukraine's shipments surged by 35% to 110 thousand m3, and Chile's exports grew by 15% to 76 thousand m3. However, Kazakhstan's shipments plummeted by 47% to 38 thousand m3, reflecting broader volatility in the market.
Image: Trends in European Union plywood imports by country, January - June 2024
In May, the European Commission broadens anti-dumping duties on birch plywood to include Turkey and Kazakhstan. Following an intensive investigation, the European Commission has decisively expanded its anti-dumping measures on birch plywood, initially focusing on Russia, to also encompass imports from Turkey and Kazakhstan. Detailed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1287, issued on May 13, 2024, this expansion addresses the strategic circumvention of previous duties set under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1930 from November 2021. Originally, the duties on Russian birch plywood varied between 14.4% and 15.8%, aimed at countering the influx of unfairly priced imports.
Scientists aim to stop sanctioned Russian timber from entering Europe by mapping trees' chemical fingerprints. This method could help companies like IKEA avoid using illegal timber. The Washington-based nonprofit World Forest ID is leading the effort to prevent illegal wood from entering timber supply chains. This initiative targets EU sanctions on Russian and Belarusian timber following the invasion of Ukraine. World Forest ID analyzed thousands of wood samples, using statistical models and AI to create a database that customs officials and auditors can use to verify timber origins with simple lab tests.
