The Brazilian forest sector’s trade balance ended the first quarter of this year with a positive balance of US$ 3.2 billion, a 1.5% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to the Mosaico Ibá, a bulletin produced by the Brazilian Tree Industry (Indústria Brasileira de Árvores). While pulp remains the main export product, wood panel exports were the standout in the period.

The cultivated tree sector is currently one of the engines of the Brazilian economy, accounting for 4.4% of the country’s total exports in the first quarter of this year, and is the fourth-largest item in the export agenda of the booming Brazilian agribusiness. In the first three months of 2024, its share was 9.2% of the total sold abroad by the agribusiness sector.

In terms of production, Brazil recorded 6.3 million tons of pulp in the first quarter, a 3.6% increase compared to the previous seasonal period. For the same comparison period, paper production reached 2.8 million tons by the end of March, up 6.1%, with exports growing by 24.5%. Notably, packaging paper production increased by 10.4%.