The export volume from the Brazilian planted tree industry registered a positive performance during the 1Q 2017, as Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá) reported.
Pulp exports totaled 2.3 million tons in January and February of 2017, up 3.4% over the same period of 2016 when 2.2 million tons were traded.
For the wood panels segment, the volume exported in the first two months of the year totaled 174,000 cubic metres, a growth of 40.3% over this period last year, when 124,000 cubic metres were exported. In this same period, paper exports reached 335,000 tons, a 6% increase over the 316,000 tons exported in 2016.
From January to February of 2017 the sector recorded exports of $1.3 billion (-6.4%); pulp reached $971 million (-9.1%), paper registered $287 million (+0.3%), and wood panels $39 million (+22%). As a result the balance of trade in the sector registered a positive balance of $1.15 billion in the first two months of the year (-4.9%).
Revenues from pulp exported to China (which represents the most significant destination for the Brazilian pulp sector) grew by 19.1% ($418 million) this quarter. Meanwhile, Latin American countries continued to be the main markets for paper and wood panels in the period, with exports to this region increasing 20.8% ($186 million) and 16.7% ($21 million), respectively.
Brazilian pulp production surpassed 3 million tons (1.8%) in January and February of 2017; paper registered 1.7 million tons (-2.6%).
In the first two months of 2017, paper sales on the domestic market reached 832,000 tons (-4%), while the wooden panel sector registered sales of 1.5 million cubic metres (+8.5%).
