Södra ’ s exports of sawn timber to Poland have increased 150 % in 2016 . Although Poland is not an entirely new market for Södra , it has grown rapidly in recent years and is interesting from various perspectives .

Construction timber accounts for the bulk of sales and there are several underlying reasons for the strong increase in exports . Timber house production is becoming increasingly popular in Poland , and Scandinavian timber has a good

reputation . Scandinavian timber maintains an even quality , with less waste , so that customers get more for their money . But the increase is also due to the fact that Södra has chosen to invest more resources in this market .

“ There is a high level of activity in Poland at present . Construction is on the increase and interest in sawn timber is growing ,” says Andreas Jonasson , Marketing Manager at Södra Wood . “ In a short time , we have grown our

market shares in this market , which is a clear indication that our product range is attractive from several perspectives . The products that are in demand in Poland belong to our core segment and are precisely those that we will focus on broadly and in the long term .”

Customers are mainly interested in spruce in a variety of dimensions and lengths , in particular roof truss manufacturers and packaging customers .

For Södra ’ s part , the Polish

market has grown steadily in recent years . A real upswing was experienced in 2015 and this trend has persisted in 2016 . Södra now accounts for more than 20 % of total timber exports from Sweden to Poland .

Exports of Southern Pine lumber in 2016 reached a record 688 million board feet valued at more than $ 413 million , according to the Southern Forest Products Association ( SFPA ). Within that volume , exports of pressure-treated lumber also reached a record , with more than double the shipments from just five years ago .

SFPA partners with the Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association ( SLMA ) to unite the common export objectives of Southern Pine lumber

producers under the Southern Pine Council ( SPC ) promotional banner . Working together , the associations leverage USDA Foreign Agricultural Service ( FAS ) -administered programs to promote exports of Southern Pine lumber . These cost-share programs , including the Foreign Market Development ( FMD ), Market Access Program ( MAP ) and Emerging Markets Program ( EMP ), allow the industry to reach emerging markets that were , until recently , untapped .

Exports have jumped sharply

to regions targeted by SPC ’ s international market development efforts . Record sales were achieved in China and in emerging markets recently targeted by SPC in Southeast Asia , Central America , and South America . “ Rising demand for Southern Pine lumber is undeniably linked to the industry ’ s efforts to introduce this species to buyers worldwide ,” noted Jerry Hingle , SPC ’ s international consultant .

Jerry Hingle , SPC ’ s international consultant