ECUADOR - Ecuadorian Particleboard / MDP exports reached USD 14.4 million in May 2021, a growth of 30.7 percent compared to the same month in 2019, the last prepandemic year.

The significant growth in May brought exports in the first 5 months of 2021 (5M-2021) to USD 70.4 million, which constitutes a new record for the period.

Behind this performance is Novopan del Ecuador, which supplied 98.9 percent of the total exported by the country in 5M-2021. In 5M-2021, Novopan's Particleboard / MDP exports reached USD 69.6 million for a growth of 37.4 percent compared to 5M-2019 (USD 51.2 million).

The main external market for the Ecuadorian PB/MDP was Colombia. In 5M-2021, Ecuadorian shipments to the neighboring country reached USD 36.8 million, an improvement of 31.9 percent compared to the same period of 2019 (5M-2019: USD 27.9 million).

Peru was the second most important foreign market for the Ecuadorian PB/MDP in 5M-2021. With purchases for USD 26.1 million and an increase of 27.9 percent compared to 5M-2019 (USD 20.4 million). Peru added to Colombia represented 89.5 percent of total Ecuadorian PB/MDP exports in the first five months of the year.

While in Colombia there is local production of particleboard by Duratex Colombia and Primadera, in Peru there is no domestic production.