Consistent with other grades of sawn softwood, sales of the packaging grades has grown steadily throughout 2013 and 2014, reaching near record levels. At year-end November 2014, total sales were recorded at 389,910 m3, less than 10,000 m3 below the record set year-end September 2008 (399,603 m3) just prior to the onset of the global financial crisis.
As the chart below shows, from virtual obscurity in 2000, packaging grade sales have enjoyed a stellar rise that was interrupted only by the GFC.
Fig. 12
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However, the packaging grade sales data is instructive because the drivers for it are related to the state of the general economy, including the agricultural/horticultural manufacturing sectors. In this respect, the packaging grade’s demand drivers are different to those for most other grades of sawn softwood which have a direct correlation to the health and prospects of the housing sector.
