PERU - Despite the negative effects of the coronavirus on trade, Peruvian particle board / MDP (PB / MDP) imports increased a notorious 103.3 percent in October 2020 reaching USD 13.96 million compared to USD 6, 86 million in the same month of 2019.

With a strong increase of 170.5 percent and shipments of USD 5.91 million in October 2020 (October-2019: USD 2.18 million), Ecuador was once again the main supplier of PB / MDP to the Peruvian market. While Chile, with an increase of 23.3 percent in October 2020, was the second supplier country of PB / MDP to Peru with shipments for USD 3.18 million (October-2019: USD 2.58 million). Spain with shipments for USD 2.92 million (October-2019: USD 687 thousand) and an impressive increase of 325.7 percent, the highest among the main suppliers, was the third supplier country to the Peruvian market.

The main importer of PB / MDP from Peru in October 2020 was again Novopan Peru, with USD 5.80 million (October-2019: USD 2.15 million), which represents a very strong increase of 168.9 percent and a share of 41.6 percent of the total PB / MDP imported in October-2020. This equates to an improvement of 10.2 percentage points compared to October 2019 (31.4 percent share).

The second importing company in October 2020 was Representaciones Martín with USD 2.78 million, a notable increase of 509.7 percent (October 2019: USD 456 thousand) and a participation of 19.9 percent of the total imported value of PB / MDP in the month (October-2019: 10.2 percent participation).

Arauco Perú with USD 1.60 million and Masisa Perú USD 1.20 million followed as the main importing companies of PB / MDP in Peru in October 2020, which indicated declines of 0.4 percent and 24 percent respectively when compared to October 2019.