The first month’s data for 2022 reveal much lower volumes of softwood imports and much higher volumes of hardwood imports compared to January 2021. Hardwood plywood volumes are also up on last year.

Stability in the market for timber and panel imports has been absent for over two years as evidenced by the extreme volatility in the volume changes that have ranged from declines of nearly 40% and increases of over 100%.

The 16% reduction in volume in January 2022 is compared against the relative high volumes in January 2021. It is likely that double-digit volume reductions (compared against the ‘highs’ in 2021) will be witnessed in the early months of 2022.