The total value of VPA partner country timber products exports to the EU increased 18% to USD 3.07 billion in 2021 following a 7% decline in 2020 to less than USD 2.6 billion. The total value of EU imports from VPA partner countries in 2021 stood 15% higher in value than it was in 2016. [Figure 1.1]
The EU’s leading importers of forest products from VPA partner countries in 2021 are the Netherlands (USD 627 million / 20% of the EU’s total import value from VPA partner countries); Belgium (USD 531 million / 17%);
France (USD 498 million / 16%); Germany (USD 445 million / 15%); Italy (USD 217 million / 7%); Spain (USD 156 million / 5%); Greece (USD 107 million / 4%) and Denmark (USD 104 million / 3%). The remaining Member States accounted for 13% of the total value imports to a value of USD 388 million in 2021. [Figure 1.2]
In terms of value, the largest group of imports are wood based furniture, with a value of USD 1.19 billion, representing 39% of the total value of forest products trade with VPA partner countries in 2021. Around 20% of the EU import value from partner countries in 2021 was in the form of secondary processed wood products (USD 633 million). At a value of USD 542 million and 18% of the total value, sawnwood was the third largest forest products commodity imported from VPA partner countries. EU paper imports from VPA partner countries amounted to USD 295 million in 2021 (9%). In 2021 veneer imports from VPA partners amounted to USD 195 million (6% of total imports) and plywood amounted to USD 113 million (4% of the total value of imports from VPA partner countries). The remaining imports were made up of logs (2% of the total); energy wood and waste wood products (2%) and a very small amount of wood pulp. [Figure 1.3]
Table 1.1 includes the largest bilateral trade flows between individual EU Member States and VPA Partner countries. The single largest trade flow in 2021 was between the Netherlands and Indonesia, with a value over USD 169 million for secondary processed wood products. Three of the five largest bilateral flows are for wood furniture products, between France / Germany and Viet Nam and the Netherlands and Indonesia. The largest bilateral trade flow for sawnwood was between Belgium and Cameroon, with a value of nearly USD 109 million 2021. The largest bilateral trade flow for veneer was between France and Gabon, with a value of nearly USD 64 million 2021.
With the exception of the bilateral trade in paper between Greece and Indonesia, the value of the largest bilateral trade flows in 2021 had shown positive growth over the last pre- pandemic year of 2019.
Detailed information on trade trends and the VPA status of each VPA implementing country can be found in the VPA partner country profiles on the IMM website.
