UK’s share of total EU imports of timber products falling

There are significant shifts on-going in destinations for EU imports of timber products. After emerging as by the largest single market in the EU for timber products from outside the bloc between 2011 and 2015, the relative importance of the UK eased a little in the 2016 to 2018 period.

The UK’s share of total EU imports of timber products from outside the region declined from a peak of 27.6% in 2015 to 25.0% in 2018.

The UK’s emergence as the leading EU market for external timber suppliers between 2011 and 2015 coincided with relatively strong economic growth in the country and rising consumer demand. This drove a strong increase in imports from outside the EU, particularly wood furniture and plywood from China, and wood furniture from Vietnam.