Finland remained the MENA region’s number one supplier last year, despite a 9% decrease in shipments. In total, Finland sold 2.5 million m³, of which Egypt alone bought nearly 1.1 million m³. Saudi Arabia received almost 500,000 m³.
Sweden and Austria, on the other hand, recorded significant decreases in shipments to North Africa and the Middle East. In 2020, Sweden had exported 2.8 million m³ to the region. Last year, exports fell by 30%, reaching only 1.97 million m³.
Shipments from Austria were down by 28% and totaled around 590,000 m³ last year. Algeria only received 126,000 m³ from Austria (see explanation about how the Holzkurier interprets the shipments from Koper/SI).
Practically all big trade flows across the Mediterranean saw decreases in 2021. Shipments from Russia to Iraq were the only exception. 240,000 m³ are a substantial volume. In general, Russia increased its exports to the MENA region in 2021, by 9% to 1.6 million m³.
For Romania, the past year was also positive in terms of softwood lumber exports to the region which rose by 100,000 m³ to a total of 650,000 m³. German exports remained constant at 440,000 m³.
Trade with the MENA region – the 10 biggest softwood lumber trade flows in 2021, in 1,000 m³; blue: increase in shipments, red: decrease in shipments
Methodology
Data on the EU-27 published by the European statistical office Eurostat were used for the analysis. Since the MENA region is also supplied by non-EU countries, the trade volumes of Russia, Chile and Brazil were also taken into account. For this purpose, national statistics were accessed. Thus, the MENA region’s most important global suppliers are represented in the analysis.
Research focused on softwood lumber, including planed timber, and specifically on the product groups with the HS codes 440711, 440712 and 440719.
Austria does not have ports of its own and therefore ships its softwood lumber to the MENA region via ports in Slovenia and Croatia. The applied model also takes Austrian exports to these two countries into account. These exports were deducted from Slovenian and Croatian exports and added to Austria. The distribution to the countries of North Africa and the Levant was done in percent.
The MENA region according to the Holzkurier’s definition: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
| European softwood lumber shipments to North Africa and the Middle East (in 1,000 m³) |
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| Vertical: exporting countries | horizontal: importing countries | ||||||||||||
| Countries | Egypt | Saudi Arabia | Algeria | Morocco | Israel | UAE | Iraq | Tunisia | Other countries | Total 2021 | Total 2020 | Diff. in % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finland | 1,069 | 488 | 308 | 208 | 377 | 0.3 | 2 | 90 | 36 | 2,578 | 2,844 | –9 |
| Sweden | 830 | 314 | 252 | 326 | 36 | 1 | 1 | 84 | 125 | 1,969 | 2,822 | –30 |
| Russia | 918 | 37 | 0 | 0.5 | 184 | 41 | 241 | 7 | 129 | 1,558 | 1,427 | 9 |
| Romania | 107 | 133 | 0 | 5 | 29 | 193 | 19 | 9 | 154 | 648 | 550 | 18 |
| Austria | 5 | 120 | 126 | 56 | 13 | 59 | 1 | 12 | 193 | 586 | 814 | –28 |
| Germany | 0.02 | 77 | 46 | 55 | 35 | 136 | 5 | 10 | 78 | 442 | 430 | 3 |
| Slovenia | 0 | 56 | 112 | 34 | 2 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 129 | 365 | 404 | –10 |
| Chile | 0 | 168 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 97 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 338 | 288 | 17 |
| Brazil | 0 | 138 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 98 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 274 | 337 | –19 |
| Latvia | 116 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 48 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 181 | 247 | –27 |
| Other countries | 97 | 123 | 43 | 161 | 29 | 56 | 1 | 1 | 89 | 599 | 669 | –10 |
| Total | 3,142 | 1,660 | 886 | 876 | 754 | 703 | 272 | 227 | 1,018 | 9,537 | 10,834 | –12 |
