|
Italy¡¯s timber federation Fedecomlegno predicts shorter softwood supply
and higher prices from the autumn, as European Timber Trade Federation said
in the press release received by Lesprom Network.
According to Giampiero Paganoni, president of Fedecomlegno, the key factor
behind tightening softwood imports is the raw material crisis facing Italy¡¯s
key supplier, the Austrian timber sector. ¡°The main Austrian mils are
struggling to find sufficient logs leading to capacity cutbacks and these
are having a cascade effect across the wider Austrian timber industry,¡± he
said. ¡°The decrease in production of material for glulam beams, for example,
has meant less ¡®falling¡¯ material for other users, notably pallet makers.¡±
In addition, said Mr Paganoni, Austrian producers are tending to redirect
short availablility supply to North Africa. ¡°Add all this together, and it¡¯s
evident in the near future in Italy there will be less timber and it will be
increasingly expensive.¡±
Mr Paganoni said Austrian¡¯s log shortage was a hangover from a harsh winter,
followed by flooding which hit central Europe in June. ¡°Roundwood removals
were significantly affected, to the point that key Austrian mills shutdown
throughout August,¡± he said.
Massimo De Bernardi, council member of Italy¡¯s wood packaging and pallet
association Assoimballaggi acknowledged that his industry was already
hurting. ¡°We have had to absorb a price rise of about Euro 15 per cubic
metre since the beginning of the year, and in current market conditions,
passing that increase on to our customers is not easy,¡± he said.
He and the rest of the sector were hoping for ¡°clear information on future
price quotations¡± from the Austrian mills at Austro-Italian International
Wood Day meeting in Portschach.
Fedecomlegno, the Italian national timber association, was founded in 1949
in Rome. Fedecomlegno represents importers, merchants, and agents trading in
timber, semi - processed and finished wood products, it has around 100
members, spread across the whole of Italy, and strong dedicated
representation in all the regions of the country. |
