Paulo Pupo is Superintendent of ABIMCI (the Brazilian Association for Mechanically Processed Timber), an organisation that represents the interests of the industrial wood sector in Brazil.
ABIMCI was founded in 1972 and has headquarters in Curitiba, Brazil. It represents more than 140 member companies across the entire national timber industry, including timber, plywood, doors, flooring, moulding, pellets, and many other areas.
Like TDUK, ABIMCI advocates on behalf of its members, engaging with government, establishing international partnerships, and publishing market data, as well as working with other organisations on certification, quality programs and technical standards.
Paulo addressed the TDUK Global Marker Conference in London this November, providing an overview of the Brazilian softwood market. Brazil has a total of 494.9 million hectares of forest, 2% of which are planted forests, and 98% are natural.
Paulo said: “China is the leading producer of plywood, followed by USA, then Japan, and then Brazil. Our pine plywood production is increasing, and our consumption is decreasing, so we are moving to more of an export scenario there.”
Nevertheless, the planted forests contribute more than 90% of the material used for plywood production. The planted forest area has also seen significant growth, particularly in Eucalyptus and pine plantations, with the latter being more concentrated in the south of Brazil.
Brazil is the fourth-largest plywood producer globally, producing 2.7 million cubic meters and exporting 2.2 million cubic meters of plywood, primarily to the USA, Mexico, and the UK, which is the third largest export market for Brazilian plywood.
Despite current challenges such as high freight rates and the ongoing impact of the pandemic, ABIMCI is aiming for a 5% annual growth in production over the next two years.
Paulo was also keen to point out that ABIMCI and its member organisation place real importance on sustainable practices and certifications, with more than 65% of Brazil’s forest area being certified.
