ECUADOR - The value of Ecuador's particleboard exports (PB/MDP) reached USD 105.01 million in the first half of 2023 (6M-2023). This represented an improvement of 3.2% compared to the previous year (6M-2022: USD 101.73 million).

The good performance of PB/MDP exports in 6M-2023 was led by the main regional exporter, Novopan del Ecuador, whose exports grew 2.8 percent and reached USD 103.55 million, representing 98.6% of total exports in the first half of the year.

The main foreign market for the Ecuadorian agglomerate was, as usual, Colombia. In 6M-2023, Ecuadorian chipboard worth US$57.72 million was exported to the important Colombian market, a slight decrease of 1.9% compared to the previous year (6M-2022: US$58.82 million).

Peru, the second most important foreign market for the Ecuadorian agglomerate in 6M-2023, made purchases of Ecuadorian PB/MDP worth USD 37.67 million, an increase of 10.8% compared to 6M-2022 (USD 33.99 million).

Peru together with Colombia accounted for 90.8% of the value of Ecuadorian exports of particleboard in 6M-2023 (6M-2022: 91.2%).

Unlike Colombia, where there is an installed capacity to produce PB/MDP of around 400,000 m3, Peru does not produce this type of boards.