British imports of sawn and planed lumber have increased in value by 33 per cent, or almost EUR 50 million in the first two months of 2014, according to the latest figures provided by Eurostat. Imports from the European Union countries, which represent more than 90 per cent of all UK softwood lumber purchases, grew by 32 per cent as compared to January-February 2013.
Notably those from: Sweden, up 42 per cent; Finland, up 18 per cent; and, Latvia, up 51 per cent, the first three main UK suppliers.
Though with lower values, imports from Russia almost doubled in the period mentioned, while those from Canada rose by 43 per cent.
In terms of market shares, Sweden remains by far the largest softwood lumber supplier for the UK. In January-February 2014, Sweden delivered more than 50 per cent of all British imports, followed by: Finland, at 14 per cent; Latvia, 12 per cent; and, Ireland, 5 per cent, according to FORDAQ.