Timber markets in Brazil and China pick up in September

31 October 2024: The timber sectors in Brazil and China showed signs of recovery in September, according to the latest edition of the Global Timber Index (GTI) Report, released today. The ITTO-supported GTI tracks the performance of the timber sector in diverse pilot countries.

The GTI indices for Brazil (52.3%) and China (54.2%) were above the threshold of 50% in September (up from 44.5% and 43.1%, respectively), thus indicating an upward trend in their timber sectors. Specifically, both countries experienced an increase in orders and production.

The timber sectors of most GTI-participating producing countries continued to contract, however, with the GTI indices for Thailand (49.1%), Ghana (46.7%), the Congo (44.9%), Mexico (37.1%), Malaysia (29.0%) and Gabon (26.3%) all below the 50% threshold.

The Congo, Malaysia and Mexico have all been below the threshold for several months, with timber enterprises in those countries facing considerable pressure on production and operations. With this in mind, GTI-participating enterprises in the three countries called for government intervention in September. Malaysian enterprises suggested that the government boost spending on buildings and infrastructure to increase the consumption of building materials; Congolese enterprises proposed that the government accelerate bridge construction and contribute to the maintenance of the road network; and Mexican enterprises wanted the government to regulate MDF imports.