From January to August 2024, imports of tropical lumber to the EU-27 decreased by 19% year on year, bringing the total down to only 371,600 m³. The value of this import volume was US-$435.8 million. Decreases were recorded in shipments from almost all main supplying countries, including Cameroon (-19%), Gabon (-25%), Brazil (-21%) and Ghana (-28%). Tropical lumber imports from Ecuador, on the other hand, grew by 43% to 12,200 m³.
Imports of tropical wood decking fell by 12% to 88,600 tonnes. Here, there were increases in imports from Peru (+6%), while the trade volumes of other important suppliers decreased: Brazil (-20%), Indonesia (-2%), Gabon (-18%), Malaysia (-3%) and Bolivia (-18%).
As for tropical log wood, a 60% decrease was recorded, meaning that only 25,100 m³ were imported by the EU-27 in the first eight months of 2024, for a total value of US-$15.3 million. This is mainly the result of the 90% decline in imports from the Republic of Congo, where an export ban on most log wood has been in effect since January 2023.
