As part of a well-attended foreign trade day, the members of the German association of wood traders (GD Holz) in Bremen found out about current challenges in import, export and logistics. In recent months, these have of course included the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and the uncertain situation in the Suez Canal, but also flooding in Brazil's ports and preparations for the requirements of the EUDR.

As part of the department meeting on import plywood, Fabiano Sangali (Sudati Group) provided information about Brazil's role on the world market and current hurdles. For example, Brazilian production and export of plywood fell in 2023 due, among other things, to unclear approvals with the USA. The corresponding certificates have been renewed since the beginning of the year. However, Brazil's ports are struggling due to flooding. Sangali spoke of an overloaded domino logistics system in which they have been getting in their own way since autumn 2023. On the one hand, filled containers cannot find free spaces, and on the other hand, free spaces cannot find filled containers quickly enough. The allocation of space by shipping companies is like a lottery - there is no improvement in sight for months. In terms of demand, Sangali sees a trend towards more eucalyptus plywood for upholstered furniture.

During the market discussion of the plywood importers, the questionable sources of some birch assortments were naturally discussed, and of course considered to be extremely problematic. You can find more information on this in the article linked below. Positive developments have been recorded on the demand side in German engineering and infrastructure construction. At the same time, a strike in February hampered production in Finland, while demand fell in line with general low construction demand. German imports from Asia, on the other hand, take significantly longer due to the route around Africa that was chosen for safety reasons. Whether one chooses the shorter route, which is expensive to insure, or the route that requires more fuel and personnel, the additional costs remain. Roland Böning advised on maritime transport insurance in Bremen, stressing that this should only be considered for balance sheet-critical risks.

Thorsten Dornia expects additional unrest in sea freight until the end of the year. Thanks to shuttle feeders, Maersk ships should set sail on time in the future and German ports should also be served more. However, the current change in drive systems due to emission-reducing requirements could cause some bottlenecks.

Dr. Guido Steinberg explained the - to put it mildly - extremely tricky situation in the Middle East for the interested timber traders. The possibilities of isotope analysis for determining the origin of wood products as well as the current options for fire protection and cyber insurance were also discussed.