It is the year 2021 and COVID-19 is still lingering upon our heads. According to the European Federation of Parquet Producers (FEP), despite so much uncertainty, the timber market remained stable in 2020, exceeding the 76 million square meter threshold.
In the wake of a global pandemic, the current market trends predict an evolution coming to the timber market and construction industry as a whole. The total production in the FEP territory increased by 0.59% in 2020 reaching a volume of 76,172,040 m², only decreasing by 0.28% in total (FEP and non-FEP). However, there have been reports of timber businesses suffering in various parts of the world due to the lockdowns and local regulations on businesses.
Outlook for 2021 and 2022
As per the FEP observatory, the European parquet market has started to get back on track, slowly but gradually. People are again asking for timber flooring and making an effort to put their heart into interior design and renovations. Looking at the statistics, the total production of parquet by different types remains the same that it has been for the past 10 years. If we look at the use of wood species in the year 2020, then the share of oak have significantly increased as compared to the rest, reaching a remarkable 81.8% of the total wood species used.
The European parquet market has generally started slowly in 2021, with stable or slightly increasing consumption in January and February, a positive trend that saw an acceleration in March and April, still driven by renewal. Provisional results indicate an increase in parquet consumption in all countries except Spain.
In general, while there are uncertainties for the future due to the continuing impacts of the pandemic, the resumption of travel and the long-term economic consequences (recession, reduction in public spending and decline in new projects), some habits have changed and this crisis probably represents an opportunity for the industry. It seems that not only the European authorities have now understood the positive role played by wood and wood products in tackling climate change by saving CO2, but also final consumers by bringing nature into their homes.
These positive developments are however mitigated by the problem of the difficulty of supplying raw materials and their sharply increasing costs, a phenomenon which does not only concern wood and wood-based products, but also glues, lacquers, packaging, etc.
Source: European Federation of Parquet Producers
