30 September 2011, ITTO news - EU hardwood plywood imports in the second quarter of 2011 surged 12% on the previous quarter and up 9% on the same quarter of last year.

Most of the increase in hardwood plywood imports consisted of birch plywood from Russia which rose 23% from the same period last year.

EU imports of hardwood plywood from China were also up however, on a quarterly basis, imports from China have been slipping since reaching a peak in the third quarter of 2010.

EU imports of hardwood plywood from the major tropical producers have continued to decline this year.