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In 2016, sawmills in the UK consumed a total of 6.7 million green tonnes of softwood, a 6% increase from 2015 (Table 2.7). A further 0.1 million green tonnes of hardwood were consumed by UK sawmills in 2016. Most of the logs, 6.5 million green tonnes softwood and 0.1 million green tonnes hardwood, were UK grown.

A total of 3.7 million cubic metres of sawnwood was produced in the UK in 2016, a 5% increase from 2015.

For softwood, there was a significant drop in roundwood consumption and sawnwood production between 2007 and 2008, following the start of the financial crisis. Sawnwood imports also decreased at this time (see table 3.4). Since then the levels of softwood consumption and sawn softwood production in the UK have recovered and, since 2011, exceed the previous peak in 2007 (although imports remain at a lower level).

In addition to producing sawnwood, sawmills also generate other products. Further information on other products produced by larger mills are provided in Tables 2.18 and 2.18a.

Table 2.7 Consumption and production by UK sawmills, 2007-2016

Year Softwood    Hardwood   
consumption: thousand green tonnes, production: thousand m3 sawnwood        
  Consumption of   Production Consumption of   Production
  UK grown Imported Total   UK grown Imported Total  
2007 5565 263 5828 3079 66 19 85 44
2008 4933 174 5107 2755 66 20 86 44
2009 5133 158 5291 2809 76 19 95 48
2010 5616 103 5719 3053 75 19 94 48
2011 5859 125 5984 3227 81 20 100 52
2012 6073 124 6198 3361 75 17 93 48
2013 6407 126 6532 3536 74 13 88 46
2014 6725 159 6884 3716 77 14 91 47
2015 6166 182 6347 3449 73 14 86 44
2016 6511 209 6720 3624 75 17 92 47

Source: Sawmill Survey

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