Composite Panels See Slight Rise, Veneer Plywood Market Holds

摘要

North American composite panel shipments are projected to rise 7 percent in 2013, following a nearly 5 percent increase in 2012, according to information from the Composite Panel Assn. Production capacity is expected to stay steady. "This overall growth paralleled the modest recovery in U.S. housing starts, remodeling expenditures and consumer purchasing," said Tom Julia, president of the CPA. Different challenges face the hardwood plywood veneer industry, which not only is dependent on markets in Europe, but faces harsher competition from low-cost imports, said Kip Howlett, president of the Hardwood Plywood Veneer Assn.