Canada, the number one exporting country, exported a total of 36.43 million m³ of softwood lumber in 2020, 30.78 million m³ of which were sold to the US. Compared to 2019, this is a 2% increase – despite standstills in March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic. As was the case in 2019, the second biggest trade flow was the one from Russia to China with 17.21 million m³. However, Russian shipments decreased by 11% compared to 2019. Exports from Canada to China saw an even sharper decline of 32%, which brought the total down to 3.09 million m³. This was due to Canada focusing on the US market and its higher prices.
In 2019, softwood lumber exports from Austria to Italy ranked fourth among the world’s biggest trade flows. In 2020, they amounted to 2.41 million m³ (-8%) and slipped down two places. Now, shipments from Russia to Uzbekistan (2.66 million m³; +9%) are in fourth place. In 2020, the trade flow from Germany to the US entered the Top 10 of the 20 biggest softwood lumber trade flows with a 54% increase in German exports and a total trade volume of 1.86 million m³. Austria exported 1.19 million m³ (+16%) to Germany last year, thereby rising to tenth place (2019: 16th place).
The trade flow from Belgium to France did not make it in the Top 20 last year. Trade volumes fell from around 1.35 million m³ in 2019 to 735,000 m³ (-35%) in 2020. Exports from Germany to Austria are also not among the Top 20 anymore, whereas shipments from Ukraine to China (955,000 m³; +30%) are a newcomer in the ranking.
When it comes to the biggest exporting countries, Germany and Finland switched places in 2020. Germany exported 9.6 million m³, which is nearly 1.5 million m³ more than Finland with its overall export volume of 8.17 million m³. Austria’s softwood lumber exports fell slightly by 2.5% to 5.94 million m³. The Czech Republic slipped from eighth place in 2019 (3.39 million m³) to 14th place (2.22 million m³).
The US remained the biggest importer of softwood lumber with 35.53 million m³, followed by China (26.74 million m³). Great Britain (5.95 million m³) overtook Japan (4.77 million m³).
| Trade flows incl. planed timber in 1,000 m³ | |||||
| N. | Exporter | Importer | Jan – Dec 2019 | Jan – Dec 2020 | Diff. in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | USA | 30.317 | 30.780 | 2 |
| 2 | Russia | China | 19.273 | 17.211 | –11 |
| 3 | Canada | China | 4.581 | 3.094 | –32 |
| 4 | Russia | Uzbekistan | 2.430 | 2.661 | 9 |
| 5 | Sweden | Great Britain | 2.478 | 2.617 | 6 |
| 6 | Austria | Italy | 2.631 | 2.410 | –8 |
| 7 | Germany | USA | 1.210 | 1.861 | 54 |
| 8 | Canada | Japan | 1.818 | 1.384 | –24 |
| 9 | Sweden | Egypt | 1.368 | 1.360 | –1 |
| 10 | Austria | Germany | 1.032 | 1.192 | 16 |
| 11 | Finland | Egypt | 1.519 | 1.167 | –23 |
| 12 | Latvia | Great Britain | 1.097 | 1.134 | 3 |
| 13 | Russia | Kazakhstan | 540 | 1.191 | 121 |
| 14 | Sweden | Netherlands | 904 | 1.056 | 17 |
| 15 | Russia | Azerbaijan | 960 | 1.032 | 8 |
| 16 | Sweden | Norway | 921 | 998 | 8 |
| 17 | Brazil | USA | 711 | 989 | 39 |
| 18 | Sweden | Denmark | 790 | 962 | 22 |
| 19 | Finland | China | 1.227 | 957 | –22 |
| 20 | Ukraine | China | 733 | 955 | 30 |
