LOOK out the bunting and see if the King will grant us an extra bank holiday; the UK is no longer the world's second-largest net importer of timber. But before you start planning the street parties and calling for knighthoods, some context is needed. 

While on the face of it this seems like progress and, for many, good news, it becomes less so when you consider the the country is still inside the top three. In fact, only China and the USA (whose rise from eighth to second is behind the UK's 'improvement') outdo a country with a population dwarfed by the two. 

A total of $11.7 billion (approximately £9.7 bn) worth of wood was brought into the UK during 2021, while around $2.7 bn (approx. £2.2 bn) was exported by British firms. The previous year saw imports total £8.5 bn. 

READ MORE: UK falls to become world's third-largest net importer of timber

It's true volume levels broadly dipped across most categories of timber, including sawnwood, but the fact remains that the UK imports more wood than Japan, Canada and Brazil. 

So, all in all, the latest figures don't really show progress, but stagnation. And with planting levels continuing to fall well below what's needed (especially with regards to softwoods), it's hard to see this changing anytime soon. 

Forestry officials are saying many of the right things. They know timber security should be placed up alongside food security, and the need to take a chainsaw to the time it takes to plant a tree is ever growing. 

Forestry Journal: Trudy Harrison, England's forestry minister, has been praised by some industry figures for her support Trudy Harrison, England's forestry minister, has been praised by some industry figures for her support

There's hope, too, that England's National Wood Strategy – due to be unveiled at Confor's December conference – will finally provide an achievable route to maximising the amount of timber the country can produce. At a time when priorities are (understandably) focused on getting the most out of the nation's forests, their value in producing wood has to be mentioned in the same breath as their recreational benefits. 

But, unless something changes, and changes soon, it will be a long time until the UK's timber import statistics are anything to celebrate. 

This piece is an extract from our latest Forestry Latest News newsletter, which is emailed out at 4PM every Friday with a round-up of the week's top stories. 

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