For the first quarter, Destatis, the federal statistics office, recorded growth of 27.1% in sales revenue generated by sawmilling companies with over 50 employees to €1.498bn. The key factors for the growth were significantly higher selling prices than last year, a rise of almost 18 % in output, and an above-average increase in business abroad. The figures published by the German wood industry federation (HDH) on 21 May show that sales revenue generated on the domestic market rose by 19.9% to €903.9m and that sales revenue from abroad increased 39.9 % to €594.4m. The share of the total sales revenue accounted for by international business rose to 39.7%.
