EU tropical hardwood veneer imports up 8%

Fuente:
ITTO
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EU veneer market has shown signs of recovery this year. EU imports of tropical hardwood veneer were 138,400 m3 in the first six months of 2014, 8% more than the same period last year.

This year there has been particularly strong growth in EU veneer imports from Ivory Coast (+29% to 36,500 m3) and the Congo Republic (+37% to 8,600 m3). EU imports of tropical hardwood veneer from the Gabon, still the largest single supplier, were up 2.1% at 61,700 m3 in the first six months of 2014. This is despite the temporary imposition of a 7% import duty on EU veneer imports from Gabon on 1 January 2014 following a change in the country's GSP status.

The rise is indicative of slightly better demand for okoume plywood in Europe during 2014 driven by improved construction activity, particularly in Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, and by rising boat-building in Italy. The EU suspended the GSP tariff specifically for okoume veneer from Gabon on 24 June 2014 and backdated the measure to 1 January 2014. Removal of the tariff came after concerns were raised by okoume plywood manufacturers based in France, mainly in the Poitou-Charentes region, that it would lead to the collapse of the French industry with potential loss of 1,500 jobs. The 0% tariff on okoume veneer from Gabon is now expected to apply at least until the next GSP review on 31 December 2018.

EU imports of tropical veneer were particularly high in the first 2 months of 2014, with a large spike in imports from Gabon during that period. In the second quarter of the year, imports slowed from Gabon but continued at a relatively high level from Ivory Coast.

Imports of tropical hardwood veneer into France fell 1.6% to 52,800 m3 in the first half of 2014 and Italian imports fell 6.8% to 27,200 m3 during this period. However imports into Spain increased for the first time since the start of the economic crises, rising nearly 30% to 21,600 m3. Tropical hardwood veneer imports also increased into Germany (+8% to 9500 m3), Belgium (+60% to 9300 m3), and Romania (+83% to 5000 m3) in the first six months of 2014.

EU imports of temperate hardwood veneer were also rising in the first 6 months of 2014, at 86,300 m3 up 9% on the same period in 2014. After several very slow years, European imports of American hardwood veneers have been rising this year, particularly into Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal. These gains have offset falling exports to several smaller markets for American hardwood veneer including the UK and France.

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