BELGIUM – European wood-based panel production fell 7.8% in 2022, according to figures recently released by the European Panel Federation (EPF).

USA – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a USD 188 million investment to conserve some of the most economically and ecologically significant forestlands across the nation.

SWEDEN – Swedish developer Atrium Ljungberg plans to build what it says will be the world’s largest wooden city in Sickla, a former industrial quarter in southern Stockholm.

PERU – Peruvian imports of particleboard (PB / MDP) reached USD 69.04 million in the period January-May 2023 (5M-2023). This represents a 7.0 percent drop compared to the same period of 2022 (5M-2022: USD 81.24 million). 

COLOMBIA – The value of Colombian imports of wooden furniture saw a 21.2 percent decline in the first four months of 2023 (4M-2023).

COLOMBIA- The value of Colombian particleboard imports (PB / MDP) reached USD 36.02 million in the first quarter of 2023 (1Q-2023), which represented a 20.8 percent drop compared to 1Q-2022 (USD 45.45 million).

PERU – In the first four months of 2023 (4M-2023) the value of Peruvian imports of wooden furniture was USD 14.14 million, which represented a significant decrease of 40.1 percent compared to the same period of 2022 (4M-2022: USD 23.59 million).

GERMANY – Koelnmesse recently announced a new biennial event for the furniture manufacturing and interior design industries: interzum forum italy.

SPAIN – The Spanish kitchen furniture sector increases its exports and imports, reaching a favorable balance of EUR 25.55 million in the first quarter of 2023.

CHILE – The value of Chilean exports of particleboard (PB/MDP) grew 6.0 percent in the first three months of 2023 (1Q-2023) reaching USD 22.72 million, compared to USD 21.44 million in the same period of 2022.

GERMANY – Ligna 2023, the main global trade show for woodworking and wood manufacturing, attracted more than 80,000 attendees from May 15-19 in Hanover, Germany.

BRAZIL – As reported by IBA (Brazilian Tree Industry), in the first three months of 2023 (1Q-2023) the consumption of wood-based panels (Particleboard/MDP, MDF/HDF and Hardboard) in Brazil reached 1.64 million m3, a slight drop of 1.1 percent compared to the 1.65 million m3 reached in 1Q-2022.