The global lumber market: An overview in the context of food and construction safety

The object of research is the international lumber market. The subject of research is the trade and production relations in the global lumber markets. High-grade lumber is used in critical load-bearing structures of buildings and constructions. The quality lumber market and highly skilled labor resources directly impact the construction safety of objects in various countries. The study is based on a comprehensive review of wood production in different countries and the open FAO database. The aim of the study is to identify current trends and the country’s structure of the global lumber market. Methods. The study is based on open FAO data and their statistical analysis using Python analytics tools. Results. Over 60 years, the lumber market has grown by 52.22%, reaching 481.3 million cubic meters in 2022. The market closely follows the dynamics of global crises and shows a steady growth trend. The top ten lumber producers account for 77.2% of the global market, while in 1992, their share was 80.24%. The market structure is highly heterogeneous. The USA, China, and Russia produce 45.7% of the world’s lumber. Almost 30% of all lumber produced globally is exported. In 2022, this figure reached 143.1 million cubic meters and continues to grow. The leading lumber exporters are Canada (18.5%) and Russia (18.2%). Sweden ranks third with a share of 10.4%, followed by Germany (8.6%) and Finland (6.4%). These countries account for 62% of the global lumber export. Lumber imports have also increased, reaching 137.2 million cubic meters, which is 28.5% of global production. The USA and China purchase almost half (45.5%) of all lumber. The UK, Italy, Japan, Germany, and Egypt each occupy less than 5% of the market but more than 3%. © The Author(s), 2025