June 3, 2022. – There are different routes between plywood producers and end-users. With some industries and customers, the route is direct from the mill to mill. In some industries, the chain may consist of importers, wholesalers, specialized dealers, and subcontractors. Typically, all the players in the chain keep a buffer stock to ensure continuous material flow and the secured production of trailers, concrete buildings, kitchen cabinets, sofas, etc.
With birch plywood, these buffers start to be empty very soon, if they aren’t already. The pressure to find replacing material is getting higher. Some end-users have not been aware of the scale of the Russian supply until they’ve heard their subcontractors saying plywood is out of stock.
The end-users are open to any product variation that might help their scarce situation. They hate to curtail or stop their production because of a lack of plywood. If they cannot get what they have bought before they will use something else.
It is certain that new product versions will emerge. As certain is that some of them will fade away when things return to a more “normal” state. However, some product variations will stay. The plywood market is on the move.