Sawn Wood Exports by Country

Globally exported sawn wood from all countries totaled US$56.1 billion in 2021.

Overall, the value of sawn wood exports increased by an average 46% for all exporting nations since 2017 when sawn wood shipments were valued at $38.4 billion.

From 2020 to 2021, the value of sawn wood shipped worldwide accelerated by 50.9%.

The 5 biggest exporters of sawn wood are Canada, Russia, Sweden, Germany and the United States of America. By value, those 5 major suppliers shipped over half (58.1%) of exported sawn wood during 2021.

Among continents, European countries sold the greatest dollar value worth of exported sawn wood during 2021 with shipments amounting to $32.1 billion or over half (57.1%) of the global total. In second place were North American exporters at 30% while 4.6% of worldwide sawn wood shipments originated from Asia.

Smaller percentages came from Latin America (4.3%) excluding Mexico but including Caribbean nations, trailed by Africa (2.5%) and Oceania (1.4%) led by New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Guinea.

For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix for sawn wood is 4407.

Sawn Wood Exports by Country

Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of sawn wood during 2021.

  1. Canada: US$13.4 billion (23.9% of total sawn wood exports)
  2. Russia: $6.1 billion (10.8%)
  3. Sweden: $5.3 billion (9.5%)
  4. Germany: $4.3 billion (7.7%)
  5. United States: $3.4 billion (6.1%)
  6. Finland: $3 billion (5.4%)
  7. Austria: $2.6 billion (4.6%)
  8. Latvia: $1.4 billion (2.6%)
  9. Thailand: $1.1 billion (1.9%)
  10. Belgium: $990.4 million (1.8%)
  11. Brazil: $944.9 million (1.7%)
  12. Chile: $928 million (1.7%)
  13. Belarus: $802.1 million (1.4%)
  14. Romania: $766.3 million (1.4%)
  15. Czech Republic: $764.4 million (1.4%)

By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 81.8% of global sawn wood exported in 2021.

Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing sawn wood exporters from 2020 to 2021 were: Latvia (up 83.6%), Czech Republic (up 78%), Canada (up 73.2%) and Finland (up 70.8%).

The most modest increases among the top 15 suppliers belong to: Thailand (up 14.3%), Chile (up 26.9%), Brazil (up 33.6%), United States of America (up 34.1%) and Russia (up 43.8%).

Countries Generating Greatest Surpluses Trading Sawn Wood

The following countries posted the highest positive net exports for sawn wood during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the surplus between the value of each country’s sawn wood exports and its import purchases for that same commodity.

  1. Canada: US$12.7 billion (net export surplus up 73.3% since 2020)
  2. Russia: $6 billion (up 44%)
  3. Sweden: $5.1 billion (up 60%)
  4. Finland: $2.9 billion (up 72.7%)
  5. Germany: $2.1 billion (up 79.5%)
  6. Austria: $1.5 billion (up 76.1%)
  7. Latvia: $990.7 million (up 68.9%)
  8. Brazil: $922.4 million (up 36.5%)
  9. Chile: $918.3 million (up 27%)
  10. Thailand: $879.5 million (up 15.9%)
  11. Belarus: $781.2 million (up 60.8%)
  12. Ukraine: $665.7 million (up 31.6%)
  13. Romania: $644.1 million (up 53.7%)
  14. New Zealand: $552.3 million (up 12.4%)
  15. Czech Republic: $503.2 million (up 96.1%)

World leader Canada generated the highest surplus in the international trade of sawn wood. In turn, this positive cashflow confirms Canada’s strong competitive advantage for this specific product category.

Countries Causing Worst Deficits Trading Sawn Wood

The following countries posted the highest negative net exports for sawn wood during 2021. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. Thus, the statistics below present the deficit between the value of each country’s sawn wood import purchases and its exports for that same commodity.

  1. United States: -US$10.8 billion (net export deficit up 84% since 2020)
  2. Mainland China: -$7 billion (down -6.6%)
  3. United Kingdom: -$3.6 billion (up 84.1%)
  4. Japan: -$2.5 billion (up 49.6%)
  5. Italy: -$1.6 billion (up 71.9%)
  6. Netherlands: -$1.4 billion (up 64.3%)
  7. Egypt: -$967.5 million (up 31.6%)
  8. France: -$927.6 million (up 80.8%)
  9. Mexico: -$894 million (up 73.6%)
  10. South Korea: -$845.3 million (up 49.7%)
  11. Saudi Arabia: -$573 million (up 16.3%)
  12. Vietnam: -$568.2 million (down -24.3%)
  13. Denmark: -$557.9 million (up 52.1%)
  14. Taiwan: -$482.4 million (up 68.8%)
  15. India: -$385.6 million (up 9.2%)

The People’s Republic of China incurred the highest deficit in the international trade of sawn wood. In turn, this negative cashflow highlights mainland China’s comparative competitive disadvantage for this specific product category but also signals opportunities for sawn wood-supplying countries that help satisfy the powerful demand from the Chinese economy.

Historic Sawmills

Below are selected historic sawmills that represent traditional suppliers for processed timber. Shown within parenthesis is the country where each sawmill is located.

  • Arcola Mills (United States)
  • Chatham Saw Mill (India)
  • Cook’s Mill (United States)
  • Cooper’s Sawmill (United States)
  • De Rat (Netherlands)
  • Hierapolis Sawmill (Turkey)
  • Kin Kin Sawmill (Australia)
  • Lahey’s Canungra Sawmill Complex (Australia)
  • Ledyard Up-Down Sawmill (United States)
  • Priest Mill (United States)
  • Sutter’s Mill (United States)

Searchable List of Sawn Wood Exporting Countries in 2021

The following database spotlights the 100 major exporters of sawn wood, accounting for 99.97% of the world’s sawn wood exports.

Rank Exporter Sawn Wood Exports (US$) 2020-1
1. Canada $13,412,008,000 +73.2%
2. Russia $6,057,579,000 +43.8%
3. Sweden $5,345,914,000 +58.7%
4. Germany $4,348,304,000 +69%
5. United States $3,434,020,000 +34.1%
6. Finland $3,037,838,000 +70.8%
7. Austria $2,582,836,000 +67.3%
8. Latvia $1,433,212,000 +83.6%
9. Thailand $1,059,729,000 +14.3%
10. Belgium $990,442,000 +58.7%
11. Brazil $944,870,000 +33.6%
12. Chile $927,958,000 +26.9%
13. Belarus $802,134,000 +61.8%
14. Romania $766,276,000 +46.9%
15. Czech Republic $764,369,000 +78%
16. Ukraine $676,446,000 +31.5%
17. New Zealand $668,687,000 +21.1%
18. Malaysia $605,680,000 +6.3%
19. France $572,054,000 +42.8%
20. Estonia $533,333,000 +56.9%
21. Croatia $501,484,000 +27.6%
22. Lithuania $488,267,000 +69%
23. Cameroon $424,658,000 -8.2%
24. Slovakia $397,481,000 +75.4%
25. Netherlands $373,710,000 +39.4%
26. Gabon $342,453,000 -0.6%
27. Italy $340,358,000 +31.9%
28. Slovenia $330,410,000 +50.5%
29. Bosnia/Herzegovina $276,216,000 +44.9%
30. Philippines $235,585,000 +35%
31. Norway $235,485,000 +39.7%
32. Ireland $217,864,000 +30.9%
33. Poland $177,078,000 +19.2%
34. China $173,357,000 +16.5%
35. Congo $163,539,000 +16.9%
36. Uruguay $139,480,000 +33.3%
37. Hungary $133,520,000 +22.2%
38. United Kingdom $132,941,000 +60.4%
39. Argentina $108,935,000 +50.2%
40. Spain $108,494,000 +40.7%
41. Serbia $101,785,000 +35.1%
42. Myanmar $99,819,000 +29.3%
43. Ecuador $98,474,000 -75.8%
44. Vietnam $93,490,000 +100.8%
45. Japan $88,913,000 +40.4%
46. Denmark $85,909,000 +41.3%
47. Turkey $84,618,000 +83.7%
48. Portugal $81,203,000 +43.2%
49. Eswatini $79,838,000 +32%
50. Switzerland $71,383,000 +45.6%
51. South Africa $67,309,000 +54.1%
52. Ghana $62,176,000 -20.3%
53. Australia $56,158,000 -7.4%
54. Indonesia $48,432,000 -21.8%
55. Papua New Guinea $47,553,000 -25.6%
56. Ivory Coast $46,695,000 -7.7%
57. Democr. Rep. Congo $46,147,000 +486.8%
58. Bulgaria $41,843,000 +27.1%
59. Bolivia $41,718,000 +42.3%
60. Tanzania $41,611,000 +72.5%
61. Mozambique $33,188,000 +157.3%
62. Peru $33,031,000 +37.8%
63. Honduras $28,832,000 +106.3%
64. Montenegro $27,922,000 +35.7%
65. Guyana $27,848,000 +144.2%
66. Zambia $19,318,000 +11.8%
67. Fiji $18,755,000 +125.7%
68. Luxembourg $17,500,000 -0.8%
69. Gambia $17,194,000 0%
70. Benin $14,615,000 +99.4%
71. Georgia $14,169,000 +47.2%
72. Guatemala $14,119,000 +29%
73. Suriname $13,645,000 +79.9%
74. Solomon Islands $13,512,000 +54.1%
75. Singapore $11,863,000 +89.3%
76. Taiwan $11,527,000 -19.3%
77. Mexico $11,170,000 +80.2%
78. Central African Rep $10,298,000 +268.7%
79. Sierra Leone $10,124,000 +562.6%
80. Cambodia $8,764,000 +19.6%
81. Venezuela $8,741,000 +49.2%
82. Greece $8,092,000 +33.6%
83. Colombia $8,030,000 -14.9%
84. Nicaragua $7,353,000 +19.7%
85. South Korea $6,957,000 -37.2%
86. India $5,979,000 +90%
87. Kyrgyzstan $5,666,000 +115.8%
88. United Arab Emirates $5,487,000 -84.6%
89. Madagascar $5,001,000 -9.2%
90. Paraguay $4,813,000 +8.1%
91. Senegal $4,537,000 +29.1%
92. Equatorial Guinea $4,521,000 -32.7%
93. Costa Rica $4,028,000 -54.4%
94. Albania $3,223,000 +2153.8%
95. Uganda $2,667,000 -32.3%
96. Saudi Arabia $2,377,000 +124.5%
97. Kazakhstan $2,322,000 +206.3%
98. Sri Lanka $2,307,000 -33%
99. Belize $1,866,000 +44.8%
100. North Macedonia $1,801,000 +38.9%

You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns below. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2021 data was available.

Focusing on the 100 top exporters of sawn wood, the strongest increases from 2020 to 2021 were garnered by Albania (up 2,154%), Sierra Leone (up 562.6%), Democratic Republic of the Congo (up 486.8%), Central African Republic (up 268.7%), Kazakhstan (up 206.3%) then Mozambique (up 157.3%).

See also Top Asphalt Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices, Top Cork Exporting Countries, Plastic Item Exports by Country and Top Stainless Steel Exporters by Country

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Exports – Commodities. Accessed on May 19, 2022

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 19, 2022

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 19, 2022

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 19, 2022

Wikipedia, Category: Sawmills. Accessed on May 19, 2022

https://www.worldstopexports.com/sawn-wood-exports-country/

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