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Report from
North America
Tropical sawn hardwood imports dip but remain firm
Imports of sawn tropical hardwood fell by 11% by volume
in February. Despite the pullback the 23,323 cubic metres
imported in February was the second highest volume since
May 2019. Imports of Acajou d¡¯Afrique rose 18% to their
highest volume since April 2019 and were four times that
of February 2021.
Imports of keruing, meranti, teak, and iroko so far this
year are also well over twice the volume of the first two
months of 2021. Imports of sapelli slipped 30% in
February, but still more than doubled last February¡¯s
volume.
Imports from Cameroon fell by nearly a third in February,
while imports from Brazil and Indonesia both dropped
about 10%. Yet imports from all three countries
significantly outpaced their volume from last February.
Imports from many countries are more than doubling the
volume we saw last year, with Ecuador being the sole
weak spot.
Imports from Ecuador are down 63% through the first two
month of the year but doubled in February over the
previous month. Total import volume through February is
nearly four times that of last year.
Canada¡¯s imports of sawn tropical hardwood rose 31% in
February to a level more than 63% higher than February
2021. The uptick was due to imports from the U.S.
returning to more normal levels after two extraordinarily
weak months, and a 10% rise in imports from Cameroon.
Total imports are up 38% through the first two months of
the year.
Hardwood plywood imports retreat
After hitting a 10-year high in January, US imports of
hardwood plywood fell 11% in February as volume
retreated from most supplying nations.
Despite the pullback, import levels are still well above the
norm and much higher than a year ago.
Imports from China fell 41% in February but remain 53%
ahead of 2021 for the first two months of the year.
Similarly, imports from Russia are up 60% year to date
despite a 17% pullback in February.
Imports from Vietnam fell 21% from January but were
still nearly 125% higher than that of the previous
February. Total import volume for hardwood plywood is
up 60% through the first two months of the year over
2021.
Veneer imports tumble
Imports of tropical hardwood veneer also declined from a
strong January, but the decline was much deeper as
imports plunged 48% in February. Imports dropped to a
level 17% below that of last February.
The decline was due mainly to a steep drop in monthly
imports from Italy, which has historically been
inconsistent month to month.
Imports from most other countries grew and are up more
than 10% through the first two months of the year.
Overall, total imports of hardwood veneer are up 45%
over 2021 through February.
Hardwood flooring imports level
For a second straight month, US imports of hardwood
flooring hardly budged, rising 1% by volume in February.
However, the origin of supplies for the month changed
significantly as imports from Indonesia soared to their
highest month since April 2020. Meanwhile imports from
Malaysia plunged 77% in February along with imports
from Brazil which fell 43%. Total imports of hardwood
flooring are ahead 8% over 2021 through the first two
months of the year.
Imports of assembled flooring panels fell 14% in February
after a very strong January. While imports declined in
February from Canada, Brazil, Vietnam and Thailand,
import totals from each of these suppliers for the year so
far remain sizably ahead.
Despite the retreat, total imports of assembled flooring
panels are up 89% over 2021 through the first two month
of the year.
Moulding imports decline
Imports of hardwood mouldings fell for the second
straight month, dropping 13% by volume in February.
Imports from all supplying countries were down for the
month, led by a 59% decline in imports from Malaysia.
While imports from Malaysia fell to just more than half of
the previous February¡¯s level, year-to-year imports
through February are still ahead of 2021 by 3% due to a
strong January total.
Despite the February pullback, imports from nearly all
other countries are up more than 10% for the first two
months of the year versus 2021. Total imports of
hardwood moulding are ahead 29% over 2021 through
February.
Wooden furniture imports back under US$2 billion
Imports of wooden furniture fell 10% in February, giving
back the gains in made in January. The US$1.93 billion
imported last month was, however, 10% higher than that
of February 2021. Imports from Vietnam, the top supplier,
fell 9% and are down 16% through the first two months of
the year.
Imports were down more than 10% from Malaysia,
Indonesia, and China. Imports from India were up 2% and
are ahead 29% versus 2021 so far this year. Total imports
of wooden furniture are ahead by 5% through February.
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