18 November 2014: The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) have released the 2013-2014 ‘Forest Products Market Review,’ which stresses that while some market recovery has occurred since the 2009 trough of the financial crisis, forest product markets remain about 10 to 15% below pre-crisis levels.

The review covers markets in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and North America, with significant differences noted in each region. For example, “sawn softwood consumption rose by 5.2% in North America in 2013 and by 8.8% in the CIS. In Europe, however, demand dropped for the third consecutive year, by 1.7%.”

Reasons for limited recovery noted in the review include a lack of housing starts, sovereign debt issues, and generally slow economic growth. Some forest products have, however, demonstrated growth such as wood fibers for textiles, wood fuel and wood-based construction material, according to the report.

In addition to providing statistical information on a range of forest product markets, the review also identifies market influences from outside the region. Forest products covered in the review are industrial roundwood, sawn softwood, sawn hardwood, wood-based panels, pulp, paper and board, further processed sawnwood, and furniture. [UNECE Press Release] [Publication: Forest Products Annual Market Review 2013-2014]