[Foreign timber trade of Switzerland from 1985 to 1995. Flow of material, basic conditions, trends of development]

The goal of this study is to provide a basis for shaping the future of the Swiss timber industry. The amount of roundwood traded worldwide in 1984/85 was on average 82 million cubic metres (solid wood), decreasing by 11 % to 73 million cubic metres in 1993. Switzerland cultivates trade relations mainly with neighbouring countries. Goods are exported almost exclusively to Italy, and large quantities are imported from Germany. Global trade in sawn wood is of little importance. The global trade in boards has grown rapidly in recent years. Seventeen million cubic metres were traded worldwide in 1984/85, increasing to more than 32 million cubic metres by 1993. Large quantities of fibreboard and other commodities from wood are manufactured and traded in Europe. Exports of the Swiss board industry increased during the period of economic growth from 1985 to 1993. The slowdown in the economy as well as various disadvantages related to industrial production in Switzerland led to a transfer of production to countries nearby. Roundwood and processed wood are both considered to be industrial products in international trade. Foreign trade in wood is, thus, conducted according to the regulations laid down for industrial products. These commercial regulations are much more committed to the principle of a liberal market than those for agricultural products. The legal situation leaves no room for placing even temporary restrictions on the import of wood. Measures for furthering the export of timber and timber products are indeed possible, but direct export subsidies are prohibited. The timber markets are, for the most part, global. The Swiss market share is very small, especially for semi-finished products that are easy to transport. International trade regulations make it practically impossible to protect the home market for forest products. Thus, the Swiss timber industry is at the mercy of international competition. The strength of the Swiss franc contributes to the increasing competition on the Swiss timber market, and high transport costs are another disadvantage for the Swiss timber industry. The present trend towards globalisation and, thus, longer transport distances will inevitably come against ecological limitations. As soon as transport costs correspond to effective ecological costs, there will be a tendency towards re-regionalisation of the market. As a result, the present situation will become even more critical; the actual costs of energy consumption can be compensated by product prices to a limited extent only. An ecological tax reform could increase the value of the raw material, whereby, for example, wooden beams, as compared to metal structures, could gain in importance in the building industry