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Shipments to the MENA region down by 13%

Article by Günther Jauk (translated by Eva Guzely) | 12.01.2022 - 10:18

In the first three quarters of 2021, Europe exported significantly smaller volumes of softwood lumber to North Africa and the Middle East.

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From January to September 2021, softwood lumber exports to the MENA region fell by 13% year-on-year to only 6.9 million m³. Sweden recorded the biggest decrease, i. e. -36%, bringing the total down to 1.36 million m³. As a result, it fell to second place behind Finland (1.87 million m³; -5%) which is now the most important supplying country.

Russia (1.22 million m³; +24%) and Romania (530,000 m³; +28%), on the other hand, recorded double-digit increases in exports to North Africa and the Middle East. Shipments from Austria fell by 35% to 404,000 m³ in the first three quarters of 2021.

The main importing countries of the MENA region were Egypt (2.27 million m³), Saudi Arabia (1.18 million m³) and Algeria (644,000 m³), followed by Morocco (621,000 m³) and Israel (620,000 m³).

Softwood lumber exports to the MENA region | Q1 – Q3 2021
Country	Egypt	Saudi Arabia	Algeria	Morocco	Israel	UAE	Tunisia	Iraq	Other countries	Total 1–9 2020	Total 1–9 2021	Diff. in %
Softwood lumber exports to North Africa and the Middle East (in 1,000 m³)
VERTICAL: EXPORTING COUNTRIES \| HORIZONTAL: IMPORTING COUNTRIES
Finland	690	387	224	152	310	0.3	78	2	29	1,969	1,871	–5
Sweden	541	224	190	225	28	1	61	1	92	2,117	1,361	–36
Russia	752	30	0	0	164	32	5	156	76	980	1,216	24
Romania	107	109	0	5	24	145	7	12	121	413	530	28
Austria	4	85	83	36	8	37	10	0	140	620	404	–35
Germany	0	37	36	35	27	119	9	1	63	323	328	1
Slovenia	0	41	74	21	1	11	9	0	94	289	251	–13
Chile	0	93	0	0	0	50	0	0	41	228	183	–20
Brazil	0	81	0	24	1	51	0	0	8	270	165	–39
Latvia	88	5	0	3	37	2	2	0	2	198	138	–30
Other EU countries	89	82	36	121	22	40	1	0.2	63	513	455	–11
Total	2,271	1,175	644	621	620	489	181	172	729	7,921	6,902	–13