Last year, Ukraine exported more than 2.7 million m3 of sawn softwood timber, a significant amount of this for wooden pallets and packaging manufactured in European markets including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. The country also produced and exported an estimated 15 million pallets, mainly to Europe.  The severe slowdown in the Ukrainian economy and stop in production will have serious direct impacts on countries such as Hungary, Italy and Germany (the three most prolific softwood importers from Ukraine); and also an indirect impact across Europe by unbalancing the market and increasing competition ...