European Lumber Exports Continue to Grow

European lumber exporters continue to expand their overseas sales markets. Growing them over the past ten years from 30% to 45% and with a fifth of total export production in 2020 going to Asia. Traditionally most of the shipments went to neighboring countries on the continent and about 20% being shipped to the Middle East\Northern Africa, the US and Japan. However, in 2020 the share has grown to 45%, with a growth in the Chinese market. A combination of sluggish wood demand in Europe, readily available log supply in Northern and Central Europe, and a lack of forest resources available to supply domestic lumber manufacturers in major wood-consuming regions worldwide has created opportunities for sawmills in Europe to increase production and export outside Europe.