U.S. Wood Packing Imports

In March 2023, the amount of cases, boxes, crates, drums and similar packings of wood imported into the United States soared to 1.4M units, growing by 42% on the month before. In general, imports showed a temperate increase. The growth pace was the most rapid in January 2023 when imports increased by 133% m-o-m. Over the period under review, imports reached the peak figure at 1.4M units in June 2022; afterwards, it flattened through to March 2023.

In value terms, wood box imports surged to $9.8M (IndexBox estimates) in March 2023. Over the period under review, imports, however, continue to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. Over the period under review, imports attained the maximum at 12M units in May 2022; however, from June 2022 to March 2023, imports stood at a somewhat lower figure.

Imports by Country

Mexico (521K units), Canada (481K units) and Honduras (305K units) were the main suppliers of wood box imports to the United States, together comprising 94% of total imports. These countries were followed by the Netherlands and China, which together accounted for a further 3.3%.

From March 2022 to March 2023, the biggest increases were in the Netherlands (with a CAGR of +9.5%), while purchases for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

In value terms, the largest wood box suppliers to the United States were Canada ($3.7M), the Netherlands ($2.6M) and Mexico ($1.3M), with a combined 77% share of total imports.

In terms of the main suppliers, the Netherlands, with a CAGR of +7.3%, saw the highest growth rate of the value of imports, over the period under review, while purchases for the other leaders experienced mixed trend patterns.

Import Prices by Country

In March 2023, the wood packing price amounted to $7.0 per unit (CIF, US), reducing by -8.1% against the previous month. Over the period under review, the import price continues to indicate a noticeable setback. The growth pace was the most rapid in July 2022 when the average import price increased by 67% against the previous month. Over the period under review, average import prices attained the maximum at $15.6 per unit in December 2022; however, from January 2023 to March 2023, import prices remained at a lower figure.

There were significant differences in the average prices amongst the major supplying countries. In March 2023, the country with the highest price was the Netherlands ($113 per unit), while the price for Honduras ($794 per thousand units) was amongst the lowest.

From March 2022 to March 2023, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by China (+0.4%), while the prices for the other major suppliers experienced mixed trend patterns.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform