European Output of Particleboard,MDF/HDF and OSB All Fell Last Year

European output of particleboard, MDF/HDF and OSB all fell last year. Preliminary figures released by the European Panels Federation (EPF), which include EPF member countries apart from Turkey and Russia, show that European particleboard production slipped another 5 % to 28.5m m3. European particleboard production had thus shrivelled by around 10m m3 or one third compared with 2007 when output stood at 37.8m m3. Some 66 % of the particleboard made last year was used in furniture production, 23 % in construction applications and 11 % in other areas. MDF/HDF production also dipped by 6 % to 11m m3 last year after growing slightly in 2010 and 2011. OSB output was down 2.3% compared with the previous year to stand at 3.6m m3. Total output of all three products thus decreased 5 % to 43.1m m3.