Sawmilling industry of Sweden exported less in August 2021 than in the same month of 2020.
The Swedish Forest Industries Federation (Skogsindustrierna) reports that softwood lumber and planed product exports together reached the figure of about 732,000 m³ in August, which is 11% less than in the same month in the preceding year. If to divide due to geographic aspect, 526,100 m³ were sold in Europe, 10% less than the same month of 2020. Supplies to Africa (-3% to 92,400 m³) and Asia (-6% to 86,300 m³) demonstrated smaller-than-average decrease, while exports to the US grew by 55% to 7,100 m³. Divided by grades, the Federation revealed a reduction of exports of planed products (-4%), rough spruce lumber (-23%) and rough pine lumber (-16%).
Sweden’s sales of softwood sawn timber and planed products decreased by 6% to 8.660m m³ in the first eight months of 2021. Foreign supplies of planed products grew by 14% to 4.058m m³, while exports of rough spruce lumber (-21% to 1.742m m³) and pine (-18% to 2.829m m³) both dropped considerably.
In spite of the slump in exports, Skogsindustrierna resumed that Swedish softwood sawn timber production grew to a new record high of 18.9m m³.