In the Netherlands, economic growth is at its highest point since 2008, consumer confidence is high, and timber trade turnover is rising. The Netherlands imports of wood products increased 5.3% to €5.03 billion in 2017.
Imports increased from inside the EU by 4.7% to €3.7 billion and from outside the EU by 7% to €1.33 billion.
These trends continued in the first quarter of 2018, with imports rising another 7.2% to €1.34 billion compared to the same period in 2017. Imports from inside the EU gained 5.6% to €975 million and from outside the EU the rise was 11.7% to €366 million.
Most of the growth in Netherlands imports from outside the EU has comprised wood furniture from China, Indonesia, Vietnam and India, and sawnwood from Russia.
While demand is expanding, the Netherlands Timber Trade Association reports that the trade is experiencing some pressures with stock prices rising and supply constraints for some products. A lack of skilled labour is also curbing construction’s growth capacity and civil works are still not back to pre-recession levels.
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