Timber (Hardwood)

Softwood timber (pine, spruce, fir, hemlock) accounts for the majority of global construction lumber demand. It is faster-growing and less expensive than hardwood, widely used in framing, sheathing, formwork, and pallets. The Baltic region, Canada, and Scandinavia are major exporters.

Wood chips are small pieces of chipped timber used as feedstock for pulp and paper mills, particleboard manufacturing, and biomass energy generation. Hardwood chips (eucalyptus, acacia) are preferred for pulp, while softwood chips serve both pulp and energy markets.

Wood pellets are compressed biomass fuel made from sawdust and wood residues, used for industrial power generation and residential heating as a renewable alternative to coal. ENplus certification ensures quality standards. The EU, Japan, and South Korea are the largest import markets driven by renewable energy mandates.

Plywood is an engineered wood panel made from glued veneer layers with alternating grain directions for strength. It is used in construction sheathing, furniture, concrete formwork, and marine applications. Tropical hardwood plywood from Indonesia and Malaysia is widely traded internationally.

Bleached pulp is a cellulose fiber product used in paper, tissue, packaging, and specialty applications. Bleached Hardwood Kraft Pulp (BHKP, mainly eucalyptus) and Bleached Softwood Kraft Pulp (BSKP) are the primary market pulp grades. Brazil's Suzano is the world's largest producer.