Headline figures for sawn hardwood consumption in Europe show that demand has been flat for the last decade. However, these figures obscure major underlying changes in the European market. This was clear from presentations and discussion during the International Hardwood Conference (IHC) in Berlin during November, an event co-organised by the European Organisation of Sawmill Industries (EOS), the European Timber Trade Federation (ETTF) and German Sawmill and Wood Industries Association (DeSH).  David Venables, AHEC Europe Director, highlighted that the sharp downturn in US exports of hardwoods to China has important implications for the market development of American ...