Hardwood plywood imports in the U.S. has declined again month-over-month in March (-9%).
A total of 234,473 cubic metres were imported in March, worth US$133.2 million. Year-to-date import volumes were 2% higher than in March 2015, but the value in current US dollars was down 5%.
The drop in imports was almost entirely in shipments from China, which fell by 29% to 112,275 cubic metres in March. Imports from Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia increased from February. Plywood imports from Indonesia grew 22% from the previous month to 37,325 cubic metres. Year-to-date import volumes from Indonesia were down 5% from March last year, but the value of imports grew 7% year-to-date. Imports from smaller plywood suppliers to the U.S. market expanded significantly in March, most notably from Spain (4,056 cubic metres.), Uruguay (3,885 cubic metres.) and Brazil (2,948 cubic metres).
Source: ITTO
