UK Lumber and Panel Imports Slip in Q1

According to Timber Development UK (TDUK), combined UK import volumes of the main timber and panel products fell 1.3% in Q1 compared with 2025Q1, with stronger results in some categories offset by sharper declines elsewhere.

TDUK said Q1 trading was largely unaffected by disruption linked to conflict in the Middle East. The impacts on shipping and supply chains are expected to become clearer as the year progresses, with higher fuel costs and delayed shipments from Asia cited as the most likely effects.

Softwood imports rose 0.9% in Q1 to 1.412 million m³. Increased volumes from Finland and the Republic of Ireland helped offset lower imports from Sweden, Latvia, Germany, and Norway. The value of softwood imports increased 4.2%, driven by higher average prices and growth in sawn softwood imports.

Hardwood imports were largely stable, rising 0.2% from 2025Q1. Tropical hardwood volumes were also little changed overall, although TDUK noted a shift in origin, with stronger volumes arriving from Spain and Cameroon.

Plywood imports fell 13.4%, led by a 47.4% drop in softwood plywood imports tied mainly to lower volumes from Brazil. Hardwood plywood imports rose 5.3% year-over-year, supported by continued growth from China, which accounted for 77% of UK hardwood plywood imports during the quarter.

Panel and engineered wood products were mixed. Particleboard imports rose 3.7%, MDF increased 11.7%, and OSB fell 15.0%. LVL imports increased 27.5%, making the UK the second-largest global importer of European-produced LVL behind the US, while CLT imports fell almost 59%, and glulam and I-beam imports recorded modest declines.