The volume of imports was 5% higher compared to the same period of 2015, mainly due to an increase in the imports of panel products.
Major growth sectors included Brazil – which saw a 31% growth in volume of softwood plywood exported to the UK compared to 2015 - and Indonesia which increased its export of hardwood plywood by 53% in volume.
However, the value of softwood imports declined over the same period in 2015 by around 7.5%: sawn goods were down by around 8%, while planed goods were 6.5% lower. This is linked to currency fluctuations during this period.
