Timber Update July 2022

• The Construction Products Association (CPA)'s latest report states that according to the S&P Global/CIPS UK Construction PMI, UK construction activity grew again in May, however it was 56.4, down from 58.2 in April and the lowest reading for four months.
• The new plastic packaging tax came into force on 1 April 2022. It means producers or importers of plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic will be taxed an additional £200 per tonne.
• In the latest update from the CPA they reported that the UK annual house price growth slowed from 11.2% in May modestly to 10.7% in June, according to Nationwide.

To read the latest CPA update, click here.

• Lithuania plans timber export ban as sanctions cause raw material shortage. GWMI recently reported that 'due to the export of Lithuanian timber, the local industry is experiencing an increasing shortage and price of raw materials. The deficit of Lithuanian wood raw materials is also increased by the sanctions imposed on the import of Belarusian timber, but the Lithuanian Ministry of Environment states that specific actions are planned to prevent the export of timber'. Although unable to restrict exports due to free trade in the EU, there is talk of reviewing trade rules and the amount of wood purchased according to those rules.
• The use of structural timber in external walls of buildings between 11 and 18 metres is now permitted, after a review of the government ban on combustible materials following the Grenfell disaster. The government recognised that the proposed reduction of the combustibles ban from 18 metres to 11 metres put forward in the review would have a disproportionate impact on the use of structural timber and that a more 'nuanced' approach was required.
• The first quarter of 2022 had the highest quarterly hardwood import totals this century, with imports up 30% compared to 2021.
• Timber Development UK (TDUK) has launched a strategic partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) with the aim to improve knowledge and skills in timber design and construction among trainee architects, engineers and other related studies.

To read more on the TDUK partnership, click here.

Our new website is now LIVE! Find updated product information, our latest news and a hub of technical resources online now. The new website has been designed and built to provide all of our customers with more information about our business, including our vision, mission and values, as well as our varied range of both facade and timber products. Explore our new pages and product resources now!

To explore the designated timber part of our website, click here.

The world's tallest tree is a species called Hyperion, a coastal redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens), found in Northern California by the coast, shown below in the Purisima Creek Redwoods Preserve, Santa Cruz mountains. In 2019, it stood at 380 feet, 9.7 inches (116.07 metres) tall from top to base!

To find out more, click here.