A key trend in the EU sawn hardwood trade in recent years has been increased dependence on imports of lower value product from Eastern Europe, notably Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Bosnia and Serbia.
In 2015 there were higher deliveries from the Ukraine (+37% to 350,000cu.m), Belarus (+63% to 128,000cu.m), Russia (+117% to 125,000cu.m), Bosnia (+17% to 112,000 cu.m) and Serbia (+3% to 77,000 cu.m).
Growth in import volumes was significantly higher in each case than the rise in euro-based import value, as all three countries’ currencies fell dramatically against the euro in 2015. This is likely to have a decisive factor for the sharp rise in volumes from this region last year.