Baltic Export, Foreign trade , Latvia, Markets and Companies, Woodwork

Timber and timber products made up the bulk or 85.2% (87.2% a year ago) of total forestry product exports in January-April, accounting for EUR 727.944 million and declining 12.7% year-on-year.

Sawn timber exports decreased 23.4% year-on-year to EUR 196.362 million, firewood exports accounted for EUR 196.362 million, down 6.8%, plywood exports reached EUR 156.533 million, down 6.8% from the previous year, plywood exports reached EUR 77.861 million, down 9.4%.

Timber furniture exports fell 4.1% to EUR 53.377 million, and exports of paper, cardboard and their products rose 12.9% to EUR 42.032 million.

In January-April 2020, Latvia supplied forestry products mainly to Estonia (15.1%), the UK (14.3%) and Sweden (10.6%). Exports to Estonia increased by 12% to EUR 12.858 million, exports to the UK dropped 29.4% to EUR 12.229 million. In January-April 2019, Latvia exported EUR 956.585 billion worth of forestry products. 

In January-April 2020, Latvia imported EUR 294.319 million worth of forestry products, which is a decrease of 9.8% against the previous year, according to information released by the Agriculture Ministry.

Timber and timber products made up most or 58.9% of total forestry product imports in January-April (62.3% a year ago), accounting for EUR 173.298 million and declining by 14.7% from January-April 2019.

Sawn-timber imports dropped 32.5% year-on-year to EUR 42.182 million, round timber imports declined 26.6% to EUR 30.688 million, while firewood imports increased 6% to EUR 23.118 million.

Paper, cardboard and their products accounted for EUR 95.197 million of Latvia’s forestry product imports in January-April, down 32.3% compared to last January-April. These products made up 32.3% (28.6% a year ago) of total forest product imports in January-April.

Lithuania supplied the largest amount of forestry industry products to Latvia in January-April, accounting for EUR 56.341 million, or 19.1% of total forestry industry imports. Belarus supplied EUR 35.340 million worth of products, or 15.8%, and Poland supplied products for EUR 35.340 million, or 12%. In January-April 2019, Latvia imported EUR 336.242 million worth of forestry products.