Tag: Europe

Global Trends Review, May 05-18, 2014: housing market forecasts in EU; new biofuel investments in Canada, Japan and Europe

The building permits development in 2013 remained negative and is expected to decline in 2014 in France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, though the latter three showed some positive developments, says Fordaq quoting the latest Arch-Vision report on...

Global Trends Review, April 07-20, 2014: raw wood concerns around the world; lumber production in Finland predicted to grow 2% in 2014

According to the latest Eurostat figures quoted by Fordaq, in 2013 not only the sawmills from Europe made their presence obvious on the Chinese market, but also EU’s softwood log exporters more than tripled their deliveries compared to...

Global Trends Review, March 24 – April 06, 2014: The year in Europe starts with growing construction; China bans logging in Heilongjiang

In January 2014 compared with January 2013, seasonally adjusted production in the construction sector increased by 8.8% in the euro area (EU18) and by 7.3% in the EU28, as Fordaq said quoting Eurostat. The highest increases in production...

Global Trends Review, February 24 – March 09, 2014: China boosts investments into foreign timber processing; Moody’s anticipates pulp price decline

Chinese timber enterprises are rapidly increasing foreign investments. Around $1.3 billion has been already allocated in some 20 countries, mainly for logging and primary processing, but with growing interest in wood product manufacturing, as ITTO reported. Recently, both...

Base prices for Russian softwood timber in Europe in 2013

Exports of softwood timber from Russia to Europe amounted to 4.36 million m3 in 2013. The countries of Baltic region and North Sea constitute the major market there, the largest importers being Finland, Germany, Estonia, France, UK, and...

Global Trends Review, February 10-23, 2014: EU timber consumption slowly rising; Japanese timber demand prospects are unclear

Consumption of softwood lumber in Europe is slowly increasing from a very low level, according to Fordaq which quotes study by International Forest Industries (IFI) published at woodnet.se. The sharp decline by 32% in past years was mainly...

Global Trends Review, January 27 – February 09, 2014: OSB demand booming in UK, but probably at risk in Central Europe

Canadian Norbord company is going to expand its Inverness OSB mill in UK in order to meet an anticipated 50% increase in OSB consumption during the next decade, TTJ reported. Earlier the company completed a detailed feasibility study...

Global Trends Review, December 23, 2013 – January 12, 2014: Japanese housing performed well in 2013, but home producers might push importers off the market in mid-term

After eleven months of 2013, housing starts in Japan were up 10% on last year’s figures, Holzkurier says. This makes 2013 the strongest construction year in Japan ever since 2008. As a preliminary total estimate, 960,000 housing units...

Global Trends Review, December 02-08, 2013: reports of UNECE, EU Flooring Association and German Pellet Institute published

The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) announced that the residential construction volume in Europe is expected to fall this year before a slight increase in 2014, TTJ reported. “While a short- or mid-term recovery is unlikely in...

Global Trends Review, October 28 – November 03, 2013: lumber market oversaturation in Japan to end in Q2 2014; companies publish Q3 results

Scandinavian woodworking companies report improving market conditions, higher selling prices and lower raw material costs. Their North American colleagues also publish very positive results, despite lumber prices falling back from Q2, TTJ reported. Setra’s UK sawn timber sales...

Global Trends Review, October 21-27, 2013: Softwood lumber industry forecast to rise in 2014, Russian lumber deliveries to UK to fall 10% this year

At the International Softwood Conference held from 14 to 18 October in Edinburgh, Scotland, the European Forest Institute (EFI) presented a forecast, according to which in 2014 softwood lumber output will rise by 2.9% to 109.13 million m3...

Global Trends Review, October 14-20, 2013: European glulam consumption fell; Malaysia to emerge as major pellet exporter

Data from the UNECE Timber Committee indicates that European glulam consumption fell 2.6% to 2.83 million m3 in 2012, ITTO reported. Germany and Austria have traditionally been the largest markets for glulam, while Italy and France showed rapid...