The US imported 80,626 cu.m. of sawn hardwood in March, down 16% from the previous month. However, the value of imports grew 4% largely due to higher tropical imports, ITTO reported,
Overall US sawn hardwood imports were worth US$41.1 million in March. Tropical sawnwood accounted for half of the import value at US$20.4 million.
US tropical sawnwood imports increased 21% in March to 19,828 cu.m. Year-to-date imports remained lower than in March 2015 (-24%). Imports of all major species grew in March, with the exception of sapelli which remained unchanged from the previous month at 2,003 cu.m. Year-to-date sapelli imports were only half the volume at the same time last year.
Ipe sawnwood imports increased 53% month-over-month to 3,001 cu.m. in March. Year-to-date imports were still 25% lower than in March 2015.
While most species had lower year-to-date imports than in 2015, US balsa and mahogany imports grew in 2016 up to March. March imports of balsa sawnwood were 4,562 cu.m., up 2% year-to-date. Imports of mahogany increased 31% year-to-date to 1,644 cu.m. in March.
After declining in February US keruing sawnwood imports almost doubled from the previous month to 1,881 cu.m. in March.
Ecuador was the largest source of tropical sawnwood imports in March, followed by Brazil, Malaysia and Cameroon.
Of the smaller sawnwood suppliers, Guatemala increased shipments to the US to 987 cu.m. in March. Imports from India on the other hand, declined from over 1,218 cu.m. in February to almost zero in March.
Canada imported more balsa in March
In March the value of Canadian imports of tropical sawnwood was down 4% from the previous month due to lower imports of sapelli. Imports were worth USUS$1.67 million. Year-to-date imports were still higher than in March 2015.
Sapelli sawnwood imports declined 10% month-overmonth to USUS$504,207, but sapelli remains the main tropical species imported into Canada.
At USUS$30,767 March imports of mahogany were up from February. Imports of virola, imbuia and balsa (combined) grew by one third to USUS$451,344 in March. Much of the growth was in balsa imports from Ecuador.
Canadian sawnwood imports from Cameroon fell to USUS$357,498 in March, while imports from Congo (formerly Brazzaville) increased to USUS$306,074. Brazil’s shipments to Canada declined in March, but the year-todate value is 43% higher than at the same time last year.
