© Holzkurier
14.41 million m³ of softwood sawn timber were imported by the US from January to May. Compared to last year, the overall volume fell by 6%. FAS data show a remarkable development of the value: Despite a fall in volumes, their value increased by 4%, reaching a total of 2.84 billion US-$.
13.13 million m³ were imported from Canada, thus 9% less compared to last year. This decline of almost 1.4 million m³ was too big to be balanced by the increase of imports from other countries. Germany apparently profited from high softwood sawn timber prices in the US: Its exports rose by 182% to 366,000 m³, the value of the exported timber increased by 239% to 112 million US-$. Imports from Sweden dropped by 8% to 160,000 m³. Volumes imported from Austria soared by 493% to 83,000 m³.
| US softwood sawn timber imports in million US-$ and 1,000 m³ |
||||||
| Country | Imports in million US-$ | Imports in 1,000 m³ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 5 2017 | 1 - 5 2018 | Change in % | 1 - 5 2017 | 1 - 5 2018 | Change in % | |
| Canada | 2,433 | 2,386 | –2 | 14,474 | 13,129 | –9 |
| Germany | 33 | 112 | 239 | 130 | 366 | 182 |
| Sweden | 50 | 58 | 16 | 173 | 160 | –8 |
| Austria | 3 | 18 | 500 | 14 | 83 | 493 |
| China | 19 | 27 | 42 | 28 | 48 | 71 |
| Czech Republic | 4 | 6 | 50 | 18 | 22 | 22 |
| Russia | 5 | 5 | –8 | 17 | 14 | –18 |
| Finland | 3 | 5 | 67 | 7 | 11 | 57 |
| Lithuania | 0,9 | 0,7 | –29 | 4 | 2 | –50 |
| Total EU 28 | 109 | 241 | 121 | 402 | 775 | 93 |
| Total | 2,732 | 2,841 | 4 | 15,366 | 14,421 | –6 |
