The trade flow from Canada to the US took is the biggest of all with almost 7.2 million m³ of softwood lumber (incl. planed timber) and an 8% increase compared to the first quarter of 2023. This volume was also exactly the same as in the first three months of 2022. The value of the softwood lumber traded in the first quarter of 2024 grew by 11% year on year. The second largest trade flow was once again that from Russia to China (+5% to 2.7 million m³). In contrast to last year, there is now a new number three: Austria exported 684,000 m³ to Italy (+2%), taking third place from Sweden’s trade with Great Britain, which is in fourth place this year (-13% to 656,000 m³).
In the first quarter, substantial year-on-year decreases were also recorded in trade flows from Germany to the US (-17% to 555,000 m³) and from Canada to China (-13% to 383,000 m³), whereas softwood lumber deliveries from Belarus to China (+37% to 267,000 m³) and from Canada to Japan (+35% to 266,000 m³) saw marked increases.
| Trade flows incl. planed timber in 1,000 m³ and US-$1,000 | ||||||||
| N. | Exporter | Importer | 1-3 2023 in 1,000 m³ | 1-3 2024 in 1,000 m³ | Diff. i. % | 1-3 2023 in US-$1,000 | 1-3 2024 in US-$1,000 | Diff. in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | USA | 6,641 | 7,192 | 8 | 1,713 | 1,905 | 11 |
| 2 | Russia | China | 2,586 | 2,713 | 5 | 528 | 565 | 7 |
| 3 | Austria | Italy | 671 | 684 | 2 | 189 | 172 | –9 |
| 4 | Sweden | Great Britain | 754 | 656 | –13 | 207 | 186 | –10 |
| 5 | Germany | USA | 669 | 555 | –17 | 187 | 153 | –18 |
| 6 | Canada | China | 439 | 383 | –13 | 84 | 73 | –13 |
| 7 | Sweden | Egypt | 339 | 356 | 5 | 58 | 65 | 13 |
| 8 | Russia | Uzbekistan | 403 | 343 | –15 | 70 | 53 | –25 |
| 9 | Sweden | USA | 258 | 302 | 17 | 74 | 88 | 19 |
| 10 | Belarus | China | 195 | 267 | 37 | 40 | 49 | 24 |
| 11 | Canada | Japan | 197 | 266 | 35 | 96 | 115 | 20 |
| 12 | Sweden | Netherlands | 315 | 266 | –16 | 86 | 75 | –13 |
| 13 | USA | Mexico | 258 | 259 | 0.04 | 66 | 62 | –6 |
| 14 | Finland | Egypt | 239 | 228 | –5 | 37 | 41 | 10 |
| 15 | Germany | Austria | 223 | 222 | –0.4 | 60 | 59 | –3 |
| 16 | Sweden | Germany | 260 | 212 | –19 | 71 | 59 | –18 |
| 17 | Latvia | Great Britain | 196 | 207 | 5 | 61 | 63 | 4 |
| 18 | Sweden | Denmark | 233 | 203 | –13 | 60 | 55 | –8 |
| 19 | Sweden | Japan | 142 | 200 | 41 | 46 | 60 | 31 |
| 20 | Germany | France | 213 | 193 | –9 | 67 | 56 | –16 |
