In May 2020, the value of Brazilian exports of wood-based products (except pulp and paper) dropped 13.5% compared to May 2019, from $273.3 million to $236.3 million. The value of pine sawnwood exports declined 9% between May 2019 ($47.7 million) and May 2020 ($43.3 million). In terms of volume exports increased almost 7% over the same period, from 235,000 m3 to 250,700 m3 signalling falling unit prices, as ITTO reported.
Tropical sawnwood export values also dropped sharply (- 33% in volume), from 52,200 m3 in May 2019 to 35,200 m3 in May 2020. However the value of exports dropped just 31% from $20.9 million to $14.5 million, over the same period. The value of pine plywood exports fell 16% in May 2020 in comparison with May 2019, from $47.1 million to $39.6 million and there was a corresponding fall in the volume of exports over the same period, from 181,500 m3 to 155,800 m3.
The bad news continued with tropical plywood exports which declined almost 60% in volume and 54% in value, from 9,100 m3 ($3.5 million) in May 2019 to 4,000 m3 ($1.6 million) in May 2020. As could be anticipated the value of exports of wooden furniture fell from $48.2 million in May 2019 to $31.8 million in May 2020, a 34% tumble.
Between January and April 2020 Brazil’s furniture exports fell 10% year-on-year and this was due to the impact of the pandemic on global trade. Analysts are forecasting another weak year for furniture exporters. In the first four months of this year the four major furniture exporting states (Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo and Paraná) which account for around 85% of national furniture exports experienced a drop in sales. The total exported until April reached $189.2 million compared to $210.6 million in the same period last year.
