Between January and September, Austria imported a total of 5.31 million sm³ of softwood sawlogs. Compared to the same period last year, this is an increase of 20%, as data from Statistics Austria indicate. What is striking: The additional volume of almost 900,000 sm³ is exclusively due to imports from Czech Republic and Germany. Both countries are affected by massive damaged wood accruals.
Czech Republic delivered 2.56 million sm³ to Austria until the end of September or in other words 22% more softwood sawlogs than last year. The increase for Germany amounts to 39% to a total of 1.52 million sm³. This means that these two countries delivered almost 880,000 sm³ more to Austria than in the first three quarters of 2017. From Slovenia came 864,000 sm³ which is almost 5% more, and from Switzerland 134,000 sm³ or 86% more of softwood sawlogs.
Declines have so far been observed for imports from Italy (119,000 sm³; -29%) and Slovakia (96,000 sm³; -20%).
