Cross-laminated timber for the whole world

Today, international project business plays a crucial role for many CLT producers. Large Austrian manufacturers and planning offices laid the foundation for this. They have continuously further developed the product itself and expanded their comprehensive planning and service offerings, making timber construction an attractive alternative in many parts of the world. Foreign trade figures and the resulting export share show the extent to which Austria benefits from this development.

Export share of 72%

For the Austrian timber industry, cross-laminated timber is a successful export product, and Germany is by far the most important foreign market. According to a survey carried out by the Holzkurier, 650,000 m³ of CLT were produced in Austria in 2024. 72% of this volume were exported. Germany was the most important single foreign market, having purchased 161,000 m³. For 2025, figures up to August show a further strengthening of these trends: Austrian production has increased by 12% and exports by 17%. Deliveries to Germany have grown by 33%. 

Other important trading partners include the neighboring countries of Italy and Switzerland, as well as Spain and Great Britain. Meanwhile, Austria exported smaller volumes to France, where domestic CLT production capacity has recently seen a substantial increase. Important overseas markets include North America, Australia, and the Bahamas. It should be noted, though, that one can hardly draw any conclusions about market developments in the respective countries based on year-on-year increases or decreases of several thousand cubic meters. Often, a few large projects (or even just one) can make the difference between an increase or decrease compared to the previous year.

(Scroll down to read about German CLT exports.)

Export growth in Germany

German manufacturers exported around 83,000 m³ of CLT from January to August 2025, i.e. exactly the same volume as in the full year of 2024. The export share was 17% last year and is expected to increase significantly in 2025, given a production increase of 16%. Switzerland and the Netherlands are Germany’s most important foreign markets.