European sawmills gain market share in East Asia

During the last few years softwood lumber import in Southeast Asia has increased dramatically with China as the top performer. However, it is also many other countries in the region that have seen a rapid increase in imports, like South Korea, India and Pakistan. Softwood lumber imports from leading exporters in Europe (Russia included) and North America amounted to 3.5 million m³ during January-November 2017, which means an increase of 15% compared to 2016.

When we compare the figures during January-November with same period in 2016, we see that all countries increased the import. India (+38%) increased the most.

A higher lumber import from Europe is not only related to an increased domestic consumption in Asia, but also to a gain in market share. Europe (Russia included) has the largest market share in the Southeast Asian lumber market since 2013. The trend line for the European share is increasing at a record high level for the region. While Europe has increased its share, Canada has lost market share. The market share for the U.S. is at a low level.

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