Significant increases in exports of softwood lumber and planed lumber to Africa (+3%), and particularly to Asia (+42%), led to an increase in exports from Sweden by a total of 5% to approximately 986,000m³ in July.
Concerning sales in Africa, exports to Egypt – at +54% to 114,500m³ – are again back near the level of the volumes recorded prior to the start of the liquidity crisis in the region. The increase in exports to Asia is primarily due to higher volumes of exports supplied to China (+67%) and Japan (+26%).
Over the course of the first seven months of this year, Sweden exported a total of 7.817m m³ of wood. Consequently the declines recorded in Swedish exports in the first half of the year have been completely compensated.