BRAZIL - According to the report by IBÁ (Brazilian Tree Industry Association), in the first quarter (1Q) of 2019 the consumption of wood panels in Brazil reached 1.62 million m3, a slight increase of 1.2 percent compared to 1Q-2018 (1.60 million m3).

In 1Q-2019 consolidated sales in the domestic market reached 1.62 million m3, a slight improvement of 1.1 percent compared to the same period of 2018 (1.60 million m3).

The export values of Brazilian wood panels in the 1Q-2019 reached USD 294 million, falling 4.5 percent compared to USD 308 million exported in the same period of the previous year. Latin America was the main regional export market for Brazilian wooden boards in 1Q-2019, with USD 44 million (1Q-2018: USD 39 million), which represented an improvement of 12.5 percent. The North American market followed with USD 13 million, a sharp drop of 23.5 percent compared to the same period of 2018.

In the same period, the volumes exported by Brazilian wood panel manufacturers, fell by 4.5 percent to 294 thousand m3 compared to the 308 thousand m3 exported in 1Q-2018.

IBÁ is the association that brings together the productive chain of planted trees for industrial purposes. Paulo Hartung, who assumed the entity’s executive presidency on March 18, heads the Association.

“It is a great challenge, and I am very confident that my time with IBÁ will be very positive. This is a very economically significant sector, representing approximately 6.1 percent of manufacturing GDP and responsible for 4.1 percent of all exports from Brazil. It is also a fundamental sector for the environment, since it removes and stores carbon in its forests, protects biodiversity, and protects 5.6 million hectares of natural areas. We must value all of this, especially at a time when the country will be undergoing reforms, is recovering economically, and while we are having many discussions about climate changes worldwide. I am sure that my experience will add up to this moment,” says Paulo Hartung.

The new CEO of IBÁ represents a sector that exported 10,700 million dollars in 2018 and ended the year with a gross income of BRL 73.8 billion. In total, the segment generates 3.7 million jobs in the country and has planned investments in the order of BRL 19.3 billion up to 2022.