Countries In Europe, Asia And Africa Weather Crises In Various Categories In The New Spring Season
Ghana – Ghana’s wood product exports continued their downward trend in 2024, with both volume and value declining compared to the previous year. The country earned €10.22 million from 21,091 cubic meters (cu.m ) of wood products in December 2024, marking a nearly seven percent drop in value and an eight percent decline in volume compared to December 2023.
For the full year, Ghana exported 272,829 cu.m of wood and wood products, generating US $123.47 million in revenue. This represents a seven percent decrease in volume and an eight percent decline in value from 2023.
Market analysis:
Air-dried sawn wood dominated exports, accounting for 51 percent of total export value, while kiln-dried sawn wood contributed 19 percent sliced veneer made up six percent, with billets, plywood (regional market) and mouldings each at five percent and rotary veneer at four percent. These six categories collectively accounted for 95 percent (€116.79 million) of Ghana’s total timber export revenue.
Ghana’s primary timber export markets in 2024 included India, Egypt, Vietnam, the United States, Belgium, Germany, Senegal, Italy, Burkina Faso and Togo. Additional buyers were the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Estonia. The most commonly exported species included Wawa, Ofram, Makore, Edinam, Sapele, Denya, Ceiba, Teak and Gmelina, with these species featured across sawn wood, rotary veneer, sliced veneer, billets and plywood exports.
Export trends and challenges:
A three-year analysis (2022–2024) highlights a consistent decline in both volume and value. One key factor behind this trend is inadequate raw material supply, which has constrained production and exports.
Air-dried sawn wood remained the dominant export product, representing nearly 60 percent of total export volume each year. Combined with kiln-dried sawn wood, these two products accounted for over 70 percent of total exports, with the remaining 30 percent distributed among 16 other wood products.
Vietnam – Vietnam’s wood industry is showing signs of recovery in early 2025, buoyed by rising export demand and a rebound in key markets, according to industry officials, government data and the most recent reports available at press time.
Figures from the Foreign Trade Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade show that Vietnam’s export value of wood and wood products reached $738.8 million in the first half of January, marking a 15.6 percent year-on-year increase.
“Orders are flooding in, particularly from the EU and the United States, where demand is steadily growing,” said Tran Lam Son, founder of Southern-based Thien Minh Furniture. “Customers now require fast delivery for the 2025 spring-summer shopping season, pushing companies to increase production capacity.”
The industry is rebounding after a difficult period marked by order declines of up to 60 percent, driven by economic downturns, high inventories and soaring shipping costs. Industry leaders say companies have adapted by restructuring order patterns, digitalizing operations and focusing on efficiency.
Recovery driven by trade and digitalization:
Vietnam Housewares CEO Lai Tri Moc highlighted the growing opportunities for wood product exports, emphasizing the role of cross-border e-commerce in expanding global reach.
“With the rapid growth of online platforms, Vietnamese firms can now engage directly with consumers in a B2C model,” Moc said.
Shipping remains a challenge, with transport costs representing a significant portion of product prices. Industry associations have responded by consolidating production data and negotiating shipping rates to enhance export competitiveness, according to Vietnam News.
“Unless there are unexpected disruptions, the wood and furniture sector can achieve an export growth rate of 20 percent this year, with some businesses targeting up to 30 percent,” Son added.
The Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture projects nearly $18 billion in export revenue for wood and wood products in 2025, up from $16.25 billion in 2024, which represented a 20.3 percent annual increase.
Policy support and regulatory adjustments:
To sustain growth, Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association Vice President Ngo Sy Hoai emphasized the need for stronger trade promotion initiatives; he urged the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to encourage greater participation in international trade fairs and business networking events.
Vietnam News also reported that industry leaders welcomed the European Union’s (EU) decision to extend the deadline for compliance with its Anti-Deforestation Regulation to December 2025 for large businesses and June 2026 for smaller firms. This extension gives Vietnamese exporters more time to adjust supply chains and meet sustainability requirements.
“To remain competitive, businesses should use this time to optimize costs, invest in technology and strengthen digital transformation,” said To Viet Chau, deputy director general of the International Cooperation Department.
Additionally, according to the most recent information revealed at press time, companies must prepare for EU greenhouse gas reduction standards coming into effect in 2027, signaling a shift towards more sustainable production practices.
“Boosting creativity, design and branding is crucial to increasing product value and reducing reliance on traditional markets,” Chau added.
Vietnam News noted that despite past challenges, the wood sector is poised for long-term growth, with industry players confident in their ability to expand production and explore new markets in 2025 and beyond.
Germany – Sales in the German wood industry fell by around eight percent in the period from January to November 2024. This means that, according to the most recently released data at press time, another annual decline is expected and the second year of recession in a row. According to the Main Association of the German Wood Industry (Hauptverband der Deutschen Holzindustrie – HDH), the industry’s development was negatively affected in particular by the decline in construction activity, excessive bureaucracy and consumer uncertainty.
In view of the continued decline in demand for construction as a result of high construction costs, poor financing conditions and inadequate funding for new construction, the construction-related sector and the wood-based materials industry recorded the greatest decline, each with a drop in sales of almost nine percent. Sales in the furniture industry (-7.6 percent), the sawmill industry (-6.8 percent) and the wood packaging industry (-5.5 percent) were also significantly below the previous year’s level.
The negative sales trend also had a greater impact on employment development in the industry. The number of companies with 50 or more employees fell by almost 3 percent on average in the first eleven months of 2024 compared to the previous year. The number of employees fell even more significantly, by around 4 percent.
“The crisis is entering its third year and is increasingly affecting the substance of companies,” says HDH Managing Director Denny Ohnesorge, commenting on the figures. “This is reflected in rising insolvencies and a decline in jobs. What the figures also show is that the crisis in the wood industry is being influenced by the crisis in the construction industry. Our appeal to the parties of the next federal government is that housing policies must be urgently re-orientated because builders and young families need reliable framework conditions again in order to be able to fulfill their dream of owning their own home. Politicians can influence these framework conditions with subsidies and reduced interest rates. It is important that the programs are reliably financed and have a broad target.
We are also calling for more support for climate-friendly building materials in order to fully exploit the potential for affordable housing and not to lose sight of climate goals.”
Switzerland – A shortage of timber is looming in Switzerland, as the difficult weather conditions last year resulted in low stock levels of logs in many sawmills. The industry, represented by the trade organization Holzindustrie Schweiz, is concerned about the threat of raw material shortages and is, according to the most recent data available at press time, urging forest owners to do their part.
In 2024, above-average precipitation severely hindered and sometimes even made timber harvesting impossible, the association said in a statement. Meanwhile, sawmills’ orders have remained steady. Due to the gap between demand and supply, stock levels dropped to unusually low levels for many companies by January 2025.
“At the moment, production can still be maintained but the question is for how much longer,” the organization wrote. Based on an assessment available at press time, it is estimated that log stocks will run out by summer; therefore, forest owners must take action by carrying out or commissioning cutting work.
“The demand for wooden construction remains strong and the doors are wide open for Swiss wood products. It would be extremely harmful for the entire domestic wood value chain to lose market share due to unharvested timber,” warns the Bern-based organization.
