ECUADOR - Ecuadorian particleboard / MDP (PB / MDP) exports reached USD 32.8 million in the first four months of 2020 (4M-2020), which represented a drop of over 18%, compared to 4M-2019 (USD 40.1 million).

The significant drop in exports is due to the impact of the coronavirus and associated closure of retail trade in its main external markets, Colombia and Peru, since the end of March. This is clearly denoted in April's exports, which fell by an impressive 65.8%, from USD 9.3 million in April 2019 to USD 3.2 million in April 2020.

The main external market for the Ecuadorian PB / MDP in 4M-2020 was once again Colombia with USD 18.8 million, which compared to USD 21.7 million in 4M-2019 meant, a decrease of 13.2%. Ecuador’s PB / MDP exports to Peru, its second largest external market, fell even more, going from USD 15.8 in 4M-2019 to USD 11.3 million in 4M-2020 (-28.4%).

Together Peru and Colombia represent 91.9 percent of Ecuador’s PB / MDP exports in the first four months of 2020.

While in Colombia there is local production of PB / MDP by Duratex and Primadera, in Peru there has been no domestic production since the closure of Tableros Peruanos S.A. (Tapesa) in early 2017.