In 2023, imports of wood pulp into Turkey dropped modestly to 1.6M tons, flattening at the previous year's figure. Over the period under review, total imports indicated a buoyant expansion from 2013 to 2023: its volume increased at an average annual rate of +5.5% over the last decade.
The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2023 figures, imports increased by +21.5% against 2021 indices. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2022 with an increase of 23% against the previous year.
As a result, imports reached the peak of 1.6M tons, and then dropped slightly in the following year. In value terms, wood pulp imports declined rapidly to $1.1B (IndexBox estimates) in 2023. In general, imports, however, continue to indicate a prominent expansion. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2022 with an increase of 58%. As a result, imports reached the peak of $1.5B, and then dropped markedly in the following year.
Imports by country
In 2023, Brazil (453K tons) constituted the largest wood pulp supplier to Turkey, with a 28% share of total imports. Moreover, wood pulp imports from Brazil exceeded the figures recorded by the second-largest supplier, the United States (217K tons), twofold.
The third position in this ranking was taken by Uruguay (216K tons), with a 13% share. From 2013 to 2023, the average annual growth rate of volume from Brazil totaled +12.2%. The remaining supplying countries recorded the following average annual rates of imports growth: the United States (-2.9% per year) and Uruguay (+36.3% per year).
In value terms, the largest wood pulp suppliers to Turkey were Brazil ($287M), the United States ($247M) and Finland ($153M), with a combined 61% share of total imports. Sweden, Uruguay, Portugal, Indonesia and Spain lagged somewhat behind, together accounting for a further 32%.
In terms of the main suppliers, Uruguay, with a CAGR of +30.3%, saw the highest growth rate of the value of imports, over the period under review, while purchases for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.
Imports by type
In 2023, chemical wood pulp (1.6M tons) was the main type of wood pulp supplied to Turkey, with a 98% share of total imports. It was followed by dissolving grade wood pulp (14K tons), with a 0.8% share of total imports. Mechanical wood pulp (9.1K tons) ranked third in terms of total imports with a 0.6% share. From 2013 to 2023, the average annual rate of growth in terms of the volume of chemical wood pulp imports stood at +5.4%.
With regard to the other supplied products, the following average annual rates of growth were recorded: dissolving grade wood pulp (+39.8% per year) and mechanical wood pulp (+38.3% per year). In value terms, chemical wood pulp ($1.1B) constituted the largest type of wood pulp supplied to Turkey, comprising 98% of total imports.
The second position in the ranking was held by dissolving grade wood pulp ($14M), with a 1.2% share of total imports. It was followed by mechanical wood pulp, with a 0.4% share.
Import prices by country
In 2023, the wood pulp price stood at $706 per ton (CIF, Turkey), reducing by -24% against the previous year. In general, the import price, however, saw a relatively flat trend pattern. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2021 an increase of 41%. The import price peaked at $930 per ton in 2022, and then reduced sharply in the following year.
There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major supplying countries. In 2023, amid the top importers, the country with the highest price was the United States ($1,139 per ton), while the price for Uruguay ($419 per ton) was amongst the lowest. From 2013 to 2023, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by the United States (+5.1%), while the prices for the other major suppliers experienced more modest paces of growth.
Source: https://www.indexbox.io/blog/turkey-wood-pulp-imports-2023/