Looking to import firewood

[Joy Yeomans]

Not scotland and wales?? We should Promote as the UK!!

 

SORRY - forgot our brothers in the North and West - all the Best for the UK Timber Industry - foresters alike North, south east and west - all the best:thumbup:

[JayVee]

Hi all, thanks for all the great comments.

 

First to all the people speaking up for UK wood. I couldn't agree with you more. With the right kind of policies you shouldn't have to import such vast quantities of wood. Without serious legislation change the importing of foreign wood will increase. It's a simple matter of maths.

 

I am not however the PM or even the Minister for the Environment so there's nothing I can do to improve the predicament. That's something for you good citizens of Blighty. So in no way am I against the UK being self reliant on wood, I'm for it! That's the idealist in me speaking.

 

As for the businessman in me, since large amounts are being imported then it does beg the question would it be worth it?

 

Baz's point is very poignant concerning the cost of freight combined with the FX volatility. Without robust margins for all it is very quickly a dead end street.

 

Right in the beginning someone got a little peeved at me taking a shot at the Latvians. I make no apologies on that front. Latvian exports of wood grew 53 % last year with only a 0.8 % rise in their national prices of wood. Latvia is bankrupt and going through a more severe recession than Greece, so it is not due to subsidies, it is also a country with a vast Russian minority, a very porous border with Russia and a corruption problem. It doesn't take a genius to work out that some of that wood is being bought from Russia, labeled as "origin EU" in Latvia and then sold on within the EU. No one knows the real origin and I doubt that it is being cut down in a sustainable manner.

 

That's my rant over.

 

You all have a good evening and thanks again for all the interesting input and thanks for those who got in direct contact. I will try and answer you all. I promise.

 

J

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Do we have the trade bulk prices now? Would be interested to see them and the sea port you would use. I assume the wood is seasoned?

[dangerous brian]

Im always a bit concerned that demand could outstrip the supply,in this country surely buying in would give our resources a much needed breather,could also get the prices down as well,if the british market has competition from abroad,if the whole phytophthera thing is as bad as ive been told we may not have a choice but buy foreign,ill keep my eyes and ears open and my wallet handy and wait for the jury to decide,cheers DB firmly sat on the fence in sunny cornwall.

[AngusMF250]

if i was going to go to the trouble of importing wood, i don't think birch would be top of my list.

 

everyone's got to make a living though & good luck to you for trying.

 

Finnish Birch is very good quality, it grows in a differant enviroment and under a very harsh winter, it has to be tough, and many timber products from Finland are Birch and it is the most common firewood in Finland.

 

Importing of firewood isnt such a bad idea. More people are heating from wood, and I would think that some regions of Europe with huge populations and not much forests will struggle to supply, and that wont neccessarily move up the prices as people will move to alternative means of heating.

[Sam Thompson]

i would much prefer the industry as a whole trying to promote english softwood alongside english hardwoods as a firewood option - softwood isnt a dirty word you know

 

 

Thats it. All thoose "log miles" are pointless. We need to be keeping British firewood merchants and British woodlands in bussiness

 

 

Sam

[AngusMF250]

Supply and demand will always dictate if anything is imported, or not imported.

 

I know one port in the east of Scotland that ships wood to Sweden, where they make paper. The Swedes obviously need it and dont turn their noses up because its not Swedish.

[JayVee]

Angus is absolutely right. Regarding the quality of Finnish birch. The Finns have used it to keep warm in double digit minus centigrades for thousands of years so I think that really says it all.

 

Also the business side is absolutely spot on. If there is enough demand, stuff will be imported. Be it firewood or eadable undies.

[TRADITIONAL LOGGERS]

Trade prices please?

[AngusMF250]

Angus is absolutely right. Regarding the quality of Finnish birch. The Finns have used it to keep warm in double digit minus centigrades for thousands of years so I think that really says it all.

 

Also the business side is absolutely spot on. If there is enough demand, stuff will be imported. Be it firewood or eadable undies.

 

Where I from supply keeps up with demand, and there is not a big population density and plenty forestry.

I would be surprised if its the same in some parts of England and more people are buying stoves.

I ve lived in Sweden and Finland, they all use Birch as firewood, grown in warm wet summers and surviving harsh winters, where most of the pines cant be grown as they start cracking in the frosts but the Finn birch is much tougher than the birch we have.

If I struggled to get wood, I d be looking into this.