According to preliminary data for 2021 published by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the export value of forest industry products was a little more than EUR 13 billion. As a result of the global rising demand and prices for sawn goods, the export value of the wood-products industries accounted for as much as 29 per cent of forest industry exports. Imports of roundwood and wood residues into Finland totalled 13 million cubic metres, slightly more than half of which consisted of pulpwood.
The export value of forest industry products increased by 16% from the previous year in real terms to EUR 13.1 billion. Compared with the previous ten-year average, exports were, however, only 2% higher (deflated using the wholesale price index). In the wood-products industries, exports increased by 42% from the previous year to EUR 3.9 billion, while in the pulp and paper industries exports increased by 8% year-on-year to EUR 9.3 billion. The forest industries accounted for 19% of Finland's total goods exports in 2021.
High Demand for Sawn Goods
A total of 8.7 million cubic metres of sawn goods were exported, with an export value of EUR 2.6 billion.
"Sawn goods had the highest export value out of all products in the wood-products industries, accounting for a fifth of the total export value of the forest industries. The export value of sawn goods increased by a whopping 51% from the previous year and as much as 49% compared to the previous ten-year average. The export volume increased more modestly: by 6% from the previous year and by a tenth from the previous ten-year average," says Eeva Vaahtera, senior statistician at Luke.
Paperboard passed paper as the most important export product, covering a quarter of the total export value of the forest industries, while paper remained at 22%. The export value of paperboard increased by a tenth from the previous year to EUR 3.3 billion, whereas that of paper decreased by 4% to EUR 2.9 billion.
Magazine paper was the most exported paper grade, with its export value increasing by 4% from the previous year to EUR 1.2 billion.
The most exported paperboard group consisted of multi-ply paperboard coated with kaolin and paperboard coated with plastic (Other coated paperboard in Luke's statistics), covering 59% (EUR 2.0 billion) of paperboard exports (up by 3% from the previous year). Compared to the previous ten-year average, the export value of paper has decreased by 40%, while that of paperboard has increased by 23%.
The Export Price of Pulp Increased
Pulp exports totaled 4.6 million metric tons, with an export value of EUR 2.6 billion, accounting for a fifth of the export earnings of the forest industries. The export value of pulp increased by 27%, driven by rising prices, even though the export volume only increased by 4%. Of the total value of pulp exports, bleached sulphate pulp accounted for 82%, and its export value increased by a little more than a fifth, while its export volume decreased by 1%.
"The most important export countries for the forest industries were Germany, China and the UK. Germany accounted for 13% of the export earnings of the forest industries, while China made up 10% and the UK 8%," Vaahtera says.
In 2021, Finland's exports of roundwood and wood residues totalled 1.4 million cubic metres, of which pulpwood accounted for 59%, logs 23% and wood chips a tenth. Sweden represented 82% of all exported wood, Egypt 6% and the UK 3%.
The Volume of Wood Imports Remained at 13 Million Cubic Metres
In 2021, Finland's wood imports totaled 12.7 million cubic metres, or EUR 0.5 billion. The volume of wood imports remained unchanged from the previous year. Of wood imports, pulpwood accounted for a little more than a half and chips 35%. Fuelwood, preserved wood and wood residues combined made up 8% and logs 3%. The import volume of pulpwood increased by 2% from the previous year, while that of wood chips remained at the same level. Log imports decreased by a fifth.
The highest volume of wood was imported from Russia, accounting for 73% of all wood imports. It was followed by Estonia with 12% and Latvia with 9%.
The import value of forest industry products was EUR 1.5 billion, up by 2% in real terms from the previous year. Wooden furniture accounted for a fifth, converted paper and paperboard products 18 % and paperboard 12% of the import value. Sweden, Estonia and Russia were the most significant import countries.
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