Timber Development UK reports 2.2% fall in imports in 2025

Total UK timber and panel product imports reached 9.1 million m³ in 2025, representing a 2.2% decline compared with 2024, according to the latest Timber Development UK (TDUK) figures.

While the figure indicates an overall reduction in volumes, the data also highlights a number of areas where imports grew during the year. The statistics suggest that the market may be approaching a turning point. Early forecasts indicate that softwood import volumes could rise by around 3.7% in 2026, potentially returning volumes to approximately 5.8 million m³, as confidence begins to improve in the housing and construction sectors.

Head of technical and trade policy at timber development UK, Nick Boulton, said: “While total timber import volumes fell slightly in 2025, the figures show that the picture across the sector is mixed. Much of the reduction in overall volume was driven by lower softwood and MDF imports, while several other product categories, such as Particleboard and a number of engineered wood products, recorded strong growth during the year. This highlights continued demand in certain parts of the market even while overall construction activity remains subdued.

“The figures also confirm that hardwood plywood imports increased substantially, but further work may be required to consider what the reasons for that may be. It’s possible that this change could, in part, be the result of anti-dumping legislation that the EU brought in last year against hardwood plywood from China. It is also possible that some of this increase could be conflict timbers in the form of Birch Plywood entering the market from Russia through third countries.

“As always, we would urge our members and the wider industry to use all caution and take advantage of TDUK due diligence and responsible sourcing policy resources to make sure the timbers they purchase comply with all relevant EU and UK regulations.”

TDUK members can sign in and read the full report on the TDUK website.