In the first quarter, the 15 biggest global supplying countries exported a total of 25.7 million m³ of softwood lumber. This corresponds to a year-on-year decrease of 2%, as figures published by the national statistical offices show. In the first three months of 2022, nearly 30 million m³ were exported. So far this year, Canada has been the number one exporter with a trade volume of 8.1 million m³ and an 8% increase compared to the first quarter of 2023.
Russia ranks second and saw its exports decrease by 3% to 4.27 million m³. Sweden’s softwood lumber exports were down by 13% and totaled only 3.38 million m³. Finland recorded the sharpest relative decrease compared to the first three months of 2023, i.e. -24% to 1.6 million m³. Latvia, on the other hand, saw the biggest increase of +28% to 738,000 m³.
| Table of softwood lumber trade flows from the 15 biggest exporting countries to the 15 biggest importing countries as well as to the MENA region (volumes in 1,000 m³). National statistics on lumber exports were used as sources (as of June 2024). |
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| Vertical: 15 biggest exporting countries / Horizontal: 15 biggest importing countries | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Total | Diff. 1–3 2023/2024 | Diff. in % | USA | China | Great Britain | Italy | Japan | Germany | Egypt | Netherlands | Mexico | France | Uzbekistan | Austria | Belgium | Saudi Arabia | South Korea | Other countries | MENA region |
| Canada | 8,124 | 586 | 8 | 7,192 | 383 | 4 | 0.4 | 266 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 211 | 22 |
| Russia | 4,273 | –154 | –3 | 1 | 2,713 | 0 | 0 | 116 | 0 | n/s | 0 | n/s | 0 | 343 | 0 | 0 | n/s | 66 | n/s | n/s |
| Sweden | 3,382 | –528 | –13 | 302 | 108 | 656 | 18 | 200 | 212 | 356 | 266 | 0 | 107 | 0 | 14 | 78 | 73 | 33 | 960 | 634 |
| Germany | 2,326 | –277 | –11 | 555 | 145 | 89 | 150 | 40 | – | 5 | 177 | 3 | 193 | 0 | 222 | 170 | 16 | 23 | 539 | 99 |
| Finland | 1,605 | –493 | –24 | 16 | 141 | 127 | 43 | 139 | 89 | 228 | 56 | 1 | 88 | 0 | 34 | 24 | 53 | 3 | 566 | 443 |
| Austria | 1,405 | 61 | 5 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 684 | 48 | 168 | 2 | 4 | 0.1 | 24 | 0 | – | 0.4 | 42 | 5 | 380 | 212 |
| USA | 770 | 36 | 5 | – | 33 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 259 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 433 | 13 |
| Latvia | 738 | 161 | 28 | 46 | 10 | 207 | 5 | 19 | 72 | 44 | 34 | 0.1 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 21 | 1 | 27 | 222 | 56 |
| Chile | 609 | 31 | 5 | 36 | 95 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 65 | 202 | 88 |
| Brazil | 570 | –6 | –1 | 189 | 65 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.2 | 152 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 34 | 0.3 | 128 | 64 |
| Belarus | 504 | 78 | 18 | 0 | 267 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/s | 0 | n/s | 0 | 72 | 0 | 0 | n/s | 1 | 165 | n/s |
| Czech Republic | 447 | –36 | –7 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 65 | 25 | 104 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 93 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 111 | 2 |
| Ukraine | 381 | –24 | –6 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 33 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.4 | 1 | 297 | 7 |
| Romania | 309 | 48 | 18 | 25 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 51 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 176 | 128 |
| New Zealand | 267 | –25 | –9 | 41 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 10 | 23 | 145 | 14 |
| Total | 25,711 | –540 | –2 | 8,442 | 4,028 | 1,111 | 1,009 | 1,001 | 709 | 646 | 566 | 518 | 445 | 415 | 378 | 310 | 294 | 268 | 4,537 | 1,782 |
