German Oak-Roundwood Exports Declined by 18% to 75,142 M3 Last Year

German oak-roundwood exports declined by 18% to 75,142 m3 last year. The federal German statistics agency in Wiesbaden reports that the fall was primarily attributable to the sharp decrease in deliveries to China, which were down year on year by 61%. Exports volumes to China had already plunged in the first quarter of 2012 (-57%) and showed no recovery in the further course of the year. The second quarter saw decline of 70%, and the third and fourth quarters decreases of 37% and 63% respectively. However, German oak-roundwood suppliers also showed declines in export volumes to most EU countries last year. Although exports to EU were up overall by 7% to 58,374) m3, the statistics show that that growth resulted exclusively from higher deliveries to Denmark, which increased by 37% to 23,305 m3.