Timber in Context 2007
A Statistical Review of the Timber Industry, 2007. Please click here

Timber in Context 2006
A Statistical Review of the Timber Industry, 2006. Please click here

Timber in Context 2005
A Statistical Review of the Timber Industry, 2005. (see below)

Timber in the UK - Source of Supply

In 2005, imports accounted for 68% of total consumption - by volume - of traded timber and panel products; UK producers supplying the other 32% of the market. The chart below describes the proportion of imports and UK production by volume (m3) for each of the main products.The map below presents the proportionate supply of timber and panels consumed in the UK by source, by value.

 The percentage - by value - of UK produced timber and panels consumed in the UK, at 26.9%, is lower than the 32% consumed by volume. The many countries representing the rest of Europe collectively supply (approaching) 60% of the UK’s timber and panel demand while Asia’s share, at 5.4% by value, is greater than the either the share of North America or Central and South America. Of the other regions of the world, supply from the African countries, from Oceania and the small quantity imported from the Middle East, account for less than 1.5% of UK consumption.

Wood is among the leading industries in the UK

From the responsible harvesting of timber, to the sawmill, wood processor or importer; and then to the distrbutor, merchant or retail store; or to the manufacturer or joiner and ultimately to the final user, the timber supply chain (including forestry) comprises a vast number of operations valued by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) at over £7.6 billion. From a selection of over 120 major industries in the UK, the following chart highlights some of these leading industries and compares their outputs, as measured by manufacturers’ selling prices.
The great variety of uses and the diversity of operations involved in producing wood products and getting them to market, provides one of the most wide-ranging and complex supply chains of any industry.

The starting point for measuring the timber industry in the United Kingdom - by the timber industry - is traditionally at the point of entry to the supply chain. This is usually where sawn timber and wood products are supplied by sawmills, panel manufacturers and importers to the distribution and manufacturing stages of the supply chain.

The scope of this review is concerned with trade from UK sawmills and importers into processing, merchanting and distribution operations. At this early stage of the timber supply chain, consumption of timber and panels in 2005 was valued at a little over £2.4 billion with volumes reaching approximately 17.1 million m3.

Timber and Panel Products - values

The value of timber and panels traded in the United Kingdom in 2005 was £2.4 billion.
Made up entirely of products ready to be converted into the huge variety of semi-finished and finished goods (e.g. sawn timber ready to be further processed and used to build homes; panel products ready to be used for flooring or for furniture making), the main range of timber and wood products is classified as sawn timbers (softwoods and hardwoods) and panel products (particleboards, oriented strand board or OSB, plywood, medium density fibreboard or MDF and other fibreboards, such as hardboard and softboard).

By adding the value of imports of these timber and panel products to the value of UK produced materials, less that exported, a value of total consumption is determined, by product, as shown below.

Timber and Panel Products - volumes

 The volume of timber and panels traded in the United Kingdom in 2005 was approximately 17.1 million cubic metres. Consumption of sawn timbers (softwood and hardwood) amounted to a little under 10.7 million m3  and the total for all panel products combined, accounted for the remaining volume consumed of 6.4 million m3.
Sawn softwood - in its many forms - is the product most demanded in the UK and is also the UK’s largest exported timber product. The volumes of each individual product consumed in the UK in 2005 are described below.  

Share of Value & Volume, by Product

UK Production

The United Kingdom has a vibrant and growing sawn timber and panel production industry, although plywood and certain types of fibreboard are not currently manufactured.
The volume of sawn softwood production has steadily increased over the last decade as sawmills continue to invest in production capacity and commercial operations to penetrate home and, increasingly, export markets.
Output of sawn hardwood has reduced over the same period, although this more specialist and often higher value production plays an important role in supplying a variety of niche markets.
UK Particleboard and OSB production has remained high in recent years, in spite of lower demand from some traditional markets, such as furniture making.
UK MDF production too, has experienced tight demand conditions, yet volumes remain at similar levels to previous years.
UK production volume in 2005 for these products is provided in the chart below.

UK Imports

The UK imports a wide selection of different timber and panel products, with different types of sawn softwood, particularly, enjoying high levels of demand.
Although not used by mass markets in the same way as sawn softwood, the variety and choice of different species of sawn hardwood is reflected in the relatively high volume imported, compared to domestic species.
The markets for plywood remained strong in 2005, and demand for imported OSB has continued to grow. Imported particleboard and MDF has experienced similar difficulties as UK produced goods while imports of other fibreboards (hardboard and softboard) have slightly reduced in 2005.

UK Exports

Although on a much smaller scale, UK exports have grown over the last few years and are approaching the one million cubic metres level.
As is customary in the trade for timber and panels, the larger trading partners often tend to be close neighbours and this is also true for many UK exports with the Republic of Ireland as a major customer. Included within the UK export volumes is a quantity of re-exports, notably for plywood and other fibreboards.

Big, beautiful and beneficial

The timber industry in the United Kingdom is a larger and more diverse business than many imagine.

The variety of uses to which wood products are put are so diverse, they almost defy definition.

Products made of timber, wood-based panels and, increasingly, engineered wood products are used by industry (to help make other goods, such as furniture or as structural components for building) and are found in homes, offices, shops and many other buildings, often used for decorative, but for functional purposes also.

The multiplicity of uses and value provided by wood products cannot be matched by any other raw material. Moreover, it is the only truly sustainable, renewable and carbon-neutral raw material available to mankind.

Wood benefits our lives in many ways,  providing decoration, functionality and beauty. It is therefore of little surprise that the timber industry is one of the biggest in the United Kingdom.

Timber in the UK - Truly Beneficial

The timber industry in the UK has long been recognised as being highly influential in people’s lives, for the purposes of building, for making furniture, for packaging, transport, making tools, decorating and a host of other uses; and the combined values of this industry, as shown in this review, also establishes it as one the largest in the UK. The timber industry in the UK is also aware of its responsibilities, to society and to future generations.

The difference between the many other raw materials used in building or manufacturing, and timber and wood-based panels, is that the great majority of timber used in the UK  is truly sustainable. Sustainable because a tree harvested will be replaced by another tree; ensuring forests are protected and managed for all to enjoy.

More and more wood - where a change of use has occurred - is being re-cycled, which is not possible with many other raw materials.

The qualities of this renewable resource ensure that the impact timber has on the natural and the built environment - for  today and equally for tomorrow - is truly beneficial.