Brazil wood: plywood, panels, hardwood, softwood, sawnwood. Guide to sellers and buyers

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The World Market of Wood

A basic commodity

Since earlier times, under several formats, wood has been a basic commodity in human activity. Construction of houses, fences, ships, arms and many other applications. It is almost the same nowadays. The world market of this commodity is of billion of dollars per year.

Asia's predominance over the markets

The center of the world market of this product is in Asia, where are situated the biggest world producers (Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand) as well the biggest consomers country (Japan) and China. Brazil, in Latin America is the most important exception. The proximity from the production sources and the major consomer market is of a fact of capital importance for these markets.

Zoom Over Malaysia

This country of southeast Asia, which capital is Kuala Lumpur, has a surface of 329.758 km2 (a little bit smaller than Maranhão, a Brazilian State), an equatorial climate and forests cover 70% of its territory. The japanese entreprises exploit its wood in a very extensive way.

The Tropical Timber

In world trade of several kinds of timber, tropical timber represent % of the total.

Another important data: most of the exports is of rough wood (logs), what diminishes its value, because there is no added value.

Panorama about Tropical Timber

Since the crisis that has touched Asian Tigers at the end of 1997, their production has lowered and markets have not yet rebuild from that crisis. There has been a true earthquake in this sector with significatifve changings in market tendencies. Reports from ITTO are previligied information sources about it.

Panorama By Products

1. LOGS
Production as well exports have lowered (6%) these last years. To learn more on this: see logs.

2. SAWN WOOD
This type of product has lowered too (9%) its production as well its exportats. To learn more on this: see swan wood.

3. PLYWOOD
Another product that has know significantly lowered. To learn more on this: see plywood.

4. LES CONTREPLAQUES
These contreplaqués have had a very important loss (25%). This, because of the difficulties of the wolrd's first producer, Indonesia. To learn more on this: see .

Source: ITTO/OIBT.