UK imports of timber and wood-based panels remained below the previous year\u2019s level during the first six months of 2026. The decline was concentrated in softwood, plywood and engineered wood products, while MDF, particleboard, OSB and LVL recorded higher volumes.<\/p>\n
The combined volume of the principal timber and panel products imported by the United Kingdom fell by 3.9% in H1 2026 compared with the same period last year. Solid wood imports decreased by 4.7%, while wood-based panel volumes were 2.5% lower.<\/p>\n
Imports recovered temporarily during March and April, with April volumes exceeding the previous year\u2019s level by 4%. The improvement did not continue into the early summer: volumes fell by 8% year-on-year in May and remained 3% lower in June.<\/p>\n
The uneven monthly development points to a market still operating without a sustained increase in demand. Importers briefly replenished inventories during the spring but remained reluctant to accumulate larger stocks while the timing of a construction recovery remained uncertain.<\/p>\n
Softwood imports fall below 2.9 million m\u00b3<\/strong><\/p>\n Softwood accounted for more than 60% of the UK\u2019s combined timber and panel imports and was the largest contributor to the first-half decline. Volumes fell by 4.9% year-on-year to 2.898 million m\u00b3.<\/p>\n The reduction was closely connected to conditions in British construction. Housing starts had already fallen to historically low levels during 2024 and 2025, and the Construction Products Association expects a further 9% decline in 2026. With fewer residential projects entering construction, demand for structural timber, roof components and other softwood products has remained restricted.<\/p>\n Softwood prices increased during the first quarter before declining again in Q2. Despite the correction, average prices remained above their year-earlier level, leaving importers with the difficult combination of lower demand and comparatively firm replacement costs.<\/p>\n Plywood records the steepest contraction<\/strong><\/p>\n Hardwood imports fell by 1.5% compared with H1 2025. The reduction came mainly from temperate and mixed hardwood categories, while tropical hardwood imports moved in the opposite direction and increased by 3.5%.<\/p>\n Plywood recorded considerably steeper losses. Total plywood imports fell by 13.6%, with hardwood plywood down by 7.4% and softwood plywood dropping by 28.8%.<\/p>\n Reduced arrivals from China were the main reason for the decline in hardwood plywood. In softwood plywood, the contraction was driven largely by Brazil. Brazilian volumes fell by approximately 60,000 m\u00b3, representing a year-on-year reduction of 39%.<\/p>\n Plywood prices initially moved in the same direction as volumes. The average price of Chinese hardwood plywood was approximately 8% lower, while Brazilian softwood plywood recorded an average annual reduction of around 12%.<\/p>\n The decline in hardwood plywood prices ended abruptly in May and June. As imports of cheaper Chinese products fell, the average value of the remaining supply increased. The movement was therefore influenced by a change in the product and supplier mix rather than a broad recovery in demand.<\/p>\n MDF leads growth among panel products<\/strong><\/p>\n The weakness in plywood concealed stronger results elsewhere in the panel market. MDF imports increased by 13.1%, the largest percentage gain among the principal timber and panel categories. Chinese MDF volumes doubled compared with H1 2025.<\/p>\n Particleboard imports rose by 4.6%, supported by higher volumes from Germany and Belgium and a particularly strong increase from Luxembourg. Imports from China also expanded during the period. OSB volumes increased by 2.3%.<\/p>\n UK timber and panel imports, H1 2026<\/strong> The differences indicate a shift in purchasing between panel categories, although the statistics do not establish how much demand moved directly from plywood to MDF, particleboard or OSB. Price, availability and technical requirements also influenced the product mix.<\/p>\n The sharp increase in Chinese MDF supply adds competitive pressure for European manufacturers. With UK consumption still limited, higher imports can intensify competition without indicating a corresponding increase in final demand.<\/p>\n Engineered wood imports fall by 13%<\/strong><\/p>\n Imports of engineered wood products declined by 13% overall, but performance differed substantially between categories. CLT imports fell by 60.7%, while glulam volumes decreased by 17%.<\/p>\n LVL imports increased by 8.5%, and I-beam volumes remained virtually unchanged. The fall in CLT is particularly notable because the material is linked to larger timber construction projects, although volumes can vary considerably depending on the timing of individual developments.<\/p>\n The lower CLT and glulam volumes are consistent with the restrained construction environment. The increase in LVL, however, points to continued demand for high-strength structural components in applications requiring dimensional stability and predictable performance.<\/p>\n UK exports provide a brighter spot<\/strong><\/p>\n Exports presented a stronger picture, even though UK outbound volumes remain small compared with imports. Softwood exports increased by 24% in the first six months, extending the growth recorded during recent years.<\/p>\n Ireland remained by far the largest destination, accounting for approximately 93% of British softwood exports. This provides UK mills with an accessible external market but also leaves export performance heavily dependent on Irish construction demand.<\/p>\n MDF exports increased by 46%, reversing the downward trend of the previous four years. Particleboard exports were 1.4% higher. OSB exports remained slightly below the H1 2025 total after a poor first quarter, but Q2 volumes increased by 21% year-on-year.<\/p>\n Recovery still depends on construction<\/strong><\/p>\n The first-half figures contain several areas of growth, but they do not yet indicate a broad recovery in UK timber demand. Higher MDF, particleboard, OSB and LVL imports were insufficient to offset the reductions in softwood, plywood, CLT and glulam.<\/p>\n Softwood remains decisive because it represents more than 60% of the combined timber and panel import volume. A sustained improvement will depend heavily on residential construction, repair and renovation activity and the willingness of merchants to rebuild stocks.<\/p>\n The forecast 9% reduction in housing starts during 2026 suggests that a substantial increase in demand is unlikely to come from new residential construction in the near term. Even if output begins to stabilise, import purchasing may remain restrained while distributors work through existing inventories.<\/p>\n The spring increase followed by renewed declines in May and June also shows that one or two stronger months do not constitute a market reversal. British timber purchasing continues to move in short cycles, with stock levels, currency movements and individual projects creating temporary increases without changing the underlying direction.<\/p>\n The market is increasingly divided between weak structural demand and selective growth in panel products. Plywood remains in the most difficult position, particularly softwood plywood from Brazil. Chinese hardwood plywood has also lost volume, although the reduction in cheaper imports pushed average prices higher toward the end of the period.<\/p>\n Until housing starts stabilise and construction produces a sustained increase in consumption, UK timber imports are likely to remain uneven, with short periods of stock replenishment followed by renewed reductions in purchasing.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UK imports of timber and wood-based panels remained below the previous year\u2019s level during the first six months of 2026. The decline was concentrated in softwood, plywood and engineered wood products, while MDF, particleboard, OSB and LVL recorded higher volumes.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":99889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nChange compared with H1 2025<\/p>\n