ECUADOR - Ecuadorian Particleboard / MDP (PB / MDP) exports exceeded USD 128.9 million in 2020, a slight growth of 0.7 percent compared to the previous year.

It is worth remembering that in 2019 Ecuadorian PB/MDP exports reached the record figure of USD 128.1 million, so the 2020 figure constitutes a new record for Ecuadorian exports of PB / MDP.

The new record figure was possible given the strong recovery of Ecuadorian PB / MDP exports in the second half of 2020.

Behind this relevant performance is Novopan del Ecuador, which supplied 98.9 percent of the total exported by the country. In 2020, Novopan's PB/MDP exports reached USD 127.6 million for a growth of 0.5 percent compared to 2019.

The main foreign market for Ecuadorian PB/MDP was once again Colombia. In 2020, Ecuadorian PB/MDP of more than USD 73.68 million was shipped to the neighboring country, a slight improvement of 0.1 percent compared to the previous year (2019: USD 73.64 million).

Peru was the second most important market for Ecuadorian Particleboard in 2020. With purchases for USD 45.2 million and a slight drop of 2.5 percent compared to 2019 (USD 46.3 million). Peru added to Colombia represent 92.1 percent of Ecuadorian PB/MDP exports in 2020.

While in Colombia there is local production of Particleboard by Duratex Colombia and Primadera, in Peru national production has been non-existent since the closure of Tableros Peruanos S.A. (Tapesa) in early 2017.