USA – Global trade in wood and paper products dropped by 12% in 2023, according to the FAO’s Global Forest Products Facts and Figures 2023.

Exports fell by $64 billion to $482 billion, still above pre-2021 levels, but indicating lower prices amid an economic slowdown. Paper trade continued to decline, affected by the rise of digital media.

Global production of paper and paperboard shrank by 3%, driven by the shift from print to digital, while industrial roundwood and sawnwood saw declines in production and trade. Only wood-based panels showed slight growth in production, but trade also dropped by 7%.

Global wood pulp production fell by 2%, but trade rose 3%. Paper production declined by 3%, with graphic papers seeing a 9% drop, reaching their lowest level since 1987. Wood pellet production decreased by 2%, while trade fell by 5%, ending years of growth.

New FAO data on engineered wood products showed small-scale production for items like laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and cross-laminated timber (CLT), with limited exports.