US imports of temperate sawn hardwood recovered in May and total sawn hardwood imports grew by 77% from the previous month. Temperate species accounted for 133,123 cu.m in May. Tropical imports were 19,039 cu.m , down 4% from April. Year-to-date tropical imports were 6% higher than in May 2013.
The decline in tropical timber imports was almost entirely due to lower balsa imports from Ecuador in May. Balsa imports fell by 40% to 4,303 cu.m following very high April import volumes. Imports from Brazil declined by 5% in May to 2,399 cu.m.
May 2014 | Year-to-date May 2014 | Change from previous year | |
Balsa | 4,315 | 23,579 | 64% |
Sapelli | 4,415 | 15,865 | 64% |
Acajou D'Afrique | 2,009 | 8,343 | -23% |
Keruing | 1,251 | 7,704 | -6% |
Ipe | 1,872 | 10,951 | 13% |
Mahogany | 970 | 5,308 | -9% |
Virola | 317 | 2,783 | -53% |
Meranti | 593 | 2,891 | 73% |
Cedro | 724 | 3,398 | -3% |
Jatoba | 156 | 849 | -63% |
Teak | 445 | 2,314 | -54% |
Iroko | 32 | 139 | 124% |
Padauk | 126 | 251 | 81% |
Aningre | 40 | 184 | 268% |
Other tropical | 1,774 | 8,063 | -18% |
Total | 19,039 | 92,622 | 6% |
Data source: US Department of Commerce, US Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics
There was only a slight decrease in ipe imports from Brazil (1,790 cu.m), but jatoba and virola imports also fell. Sawnwood imports from Malaysia, Indonesia and Peru were down, but imports from Africa increased in May. Imports from Cameroon grew by 32% to 2,832 cu.m . The majority of Cameroon's shipments was sapelli ( 2,225 cu.m ).
Imports from Congo/Brazzaville more than doubled in May to 1,843 cu.m , again be cause higher sapelli shipments (1,242 cu.m ). Ghana shipped 905 cu.m of sawnwood to the US in May, up 36% from the previous month. Imports from Ghana were 498 cu.m of acajou d‟Afrique and 370 cu.m of cedro, according to US trade statistics.
By species, sapelli overtook balsa as the large tropical import in May (by volume). Sapelli sawnwood imports were 4,415 cu.m and year-to-date imports were 64% higher than in May 2013. Acajou d'Afrique imports grew to 2,009 cu.m in May, but year - to - date imports were 23% lo wer than last year.
Much of the decline in tropical sawnwood imports in May was in imports from Latin America and Asia: balsa, keruing, ipe, virola, jatoba and teak.
Higher Canadian imports from Brazil in May
Canadian imports of tropical sawn hardwood we re worth US$2.47 million in May, up 11% from the previous month. Year- to-date imports were 18% higher than in May 2013. Three countries accounted for the bulk of import growth in May: Brazil, the US and Congo/Brazzaville.
Imports from Brazil doubled to US $337,639. Tropical imports via the US were worth US$376,881, up 118%. Imports from Congo increased by 136% to US$199,104. Ecuador shipped US$ 364,973 worth of sawnwood in May, up 25% from the previous month.
Canada's imports from Cameroon, Congo/Zaire, Indonesia and Malaysia were down in May. By species, Canadian imports of virola, imbuia and balsa combined increased by 23% in May to US$382,762. Import of sapelli sawnwood declined, but at US$2.2 million year-to-date sapelli remains the most significant tropical import species in Canada.