Global Trends Review

– Latvijas Finieris Group opens a new birch plywood mill in Kohila (Estonia), launching products with RIGA logo there, Fordaq reported. After two investment phases worth €80 million in total, a world-class birch plywood mill has been created:...

– In the first three quarters of 2016, log imports through Taicang Port, China, totalled 6.51 million m3 valued at $920 million, ITTO reported. Of the total, the value of log imports from Russia through Taicang Port soared...

– According to ITTO, the bankruptcy of the Hanjin shipping line has thrown ports and retailers around the world into confusion. Recently written notices were received from shipping companies and agents that the prices for ocean shipping from...

– In July 2016, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector increased by 3.1% in the Euro area and by 1.0% in the EU28, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In...

– Austria-based timber group Binderholz is positioning itself to make greater inroads in the UK’s sawn and planed softwood market following the formation of a new UK division, TTJ reported. The company is looking to sell the products...

– Despite many talks regarding the renewal of the softwood lumber agreement between the US and Canada, the two sides aren’t close enough on numerous key issues. Martin Moen, the Canadian chief negotiator in the softwood lumber talks...

– Finland’s export volume of sawn timber grew by 15% in January-June 2016, Fordaq reported. The export value totalled EUR 650m. Managing Director of Finnish Sawmills association, Kai Merivuori, says the profitability of the sawmill industry in Finland...

– The global engineered wood products market will be driven by demand for cost-effective and environmentally friendly wood products all through 2020 and will grow at a CAGR of more than 26%, as said in the report prepared...

– China Wood Importers Committee organized a delegation of wood importers to mid-west China to visit ports and manufacturers. The steady development of the economy in mid-western cities in China and the possibility of supply shortage after the...

– After the excellent annual result in 2015 with an increase of 10.9% and in total over 100m EPAL pallets, 73.6m of which were newly produced EPAL Euro pallets, the upward trend is continuing in the first quarter...

– Latest EU import data shows that tropical plywood has continued to lose share in the EU plywood market over the last two years, ITTO reported. Tropical hardwood faced plywood has lost share mainly to Chinese plywood faced...