Brazil

Brazilian Association of Mechanically Processed Timber Releases Report

The Brazilian Association of Mechanically Processed Timber (ABIMCI) recently released its Industry Research Report 2026.

According to ABIMCI Director Paulo Pupo, the main solid wood products exported by Brazil include plywood, sawnwood, moldings, wooden doors, flooring, and wood pellets. Regarding 2025 export data, the report results show that despite the impact of additional US tariffs imposed last year on some products, the industry remained strongly competitive in the international market.

By product category, in 2025, Brazilian pine sawnwood exports exceeded 2.9 million cubic meters, while hardwood sawnwood (including eucalyptus) exports reached 367,600 cubic meters. Plywood exports amounted to 2.3 million cubic meters, with the states of Paraná (accounting for 67% of the total) and Santa Catarina (33%) standing out as the main exporting states.

The "Industry Research Report" also outlines an overview of forest resources. Brazil holds 12% of the world's forest cover, totaling 497 million hectares – equivalent to 60% of its national territory. Within this total, the vast majority is native forest; planted forests – mainly eucalyptus (8.8 million hectares) and pine (1.9 million hectares) – constitute the supply base for the mechanized processing timber industry.

Southern and Southeastern Brazil Lead in Number of Wooden Houses 

In Brazil, the construction of wooden houses is on the rise, especially in the southern and southeastern regions. This is mainly due to the sustainable characteristics of wood, coupled with its short construction period and excellent thermal insulation properties.

According to statistics from the Brazilian Association of Mechanically Processed Timber (ABIMCI), due to the abundant local supply of raw materials and a long tradition of using wood as a building material, these two regions account for a large share of Brazil's wooden house construction.

Mexico

Mexico Advances Its First Zero-Deforestation Livestock Policy

Mexico is advancing its first national policy for zero-deforestation, low-emission livestock production. The initiative, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), seeks to address forest loss caused primarily by livestock activities. It aims to coordinate public policies, financing, and traceability systems to transform the livestock sector while meeting climate and biodiversity commitments.

It is reported that the initiative has received US$8 million in funding and is expected to raise over US$64 million in joint financing.

Data from Mexico's National Forest Monitoring System show that the country loses 149,190 hectares of forest annually, mainly converted to pastureland. Livestock is the country's primary cause of deforestation, accounting for 73.29% of tree cover loss, followed by agriculture at 21.99%.

Mexico Seeks to Curb Sale of Deforested Land

Mexico's environment and agriculture authorities are seeking to curb the sale of illegally deforested land and land-use changes, in order to prevent those responsible for environmental destruction from legalizing secretly degraded land.

Mexico's Federal Environmental Protection Agency (Profepa), the Agrarian Prosecutor's Office (PA), and the National Agrarian Registry (RAN) signed a cooperation agreement establishing administrative blocking measures to protect natural assets.

At a press conference, Profepa head Mariana Boy Tamborrell announced that the agreement will prevent environmental crimes from being legalized through administrative procedures. The cooperation mechanism will detect illegally deforested plots and submit relevant information to the National Agrarian Registry for preventive lock registration in title books.

Durango Sawmills Modernize Forestry with Solar Energy

Modernization of the forestry sector in Durango is steadily advancing, although challenges remain in road construction and commercialization.

The head of a forestry association in the state of Durango said that Durango is making significant progress in forestry modernization – particularly in sawmill infrastructure and the use of clean energy.

The official emphasized that several sawmills are already operating with cutting-edge technology and are powered entirely by solar energy. In terms of wood utilization, thanks to more efficient processing methods, wood waste has been largely eliminated, and all materials are fully used.

Forestry Activities in Parral Expected to Resume Normally by Late April

The president of the Parral Timber Producers Union stated that although forestry permits in the region have begun to be issued, wood industry activities will not resume immediately and may not return to normal until the end of April.

He pointed out that after obtaining permits, tree marking, road opening in certain areas, followed by felling, and then logging and transport are required.

In addition, forestry activities have also been affected by the holiday period. During Holy Week, forest operations are typically suspended as workers return to their hometowns. This suspension period has further delayed the sector's recovery by an additional week.

Mexico Increases Penalties for Environmental Crimes

On April 22, Mexico's Chamber of Deputies approved reforms to the Federal Penal Code, significantly increasing prison terms and fines for environmental crimes, including illegal logging, land-use change, and pollution of federal waters. The bill has now been sent to the Senate for review.

Those who destroy vegetation or forest resources face 1 to 9 years in prison and fines of 1,000 to 5,000 days. Those who illegally fell trees or encroach on forest land face 2 to 10 years in prison.

Ecuador

Ecuador's Forestry Exports Lead Manufacturing Sector

According to data from the Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE), the country's manufacturing exports reached a record high of US$2.314 billion in 2025, an increase of US$120 million from the previous year.

The forestry led this manufacturing sector with a 31.8% share (US$737 million). Christian Riofrío, Executive Director of the Ecuadorian Forestry and Timber Industry Association (AIMA), stated that the high-quality wood products exported by Ecuador come from sustainably managed plantations and do not affect native forests.

He also emphasized that Ecuador is a major global exporter of balsa wood, which has become a key supply product for the global wind energy industry.

Current Status of Furniture Stores in Ecuador

According to data service provider Smartscrapers, as of April 1, 2026, there were a total of 1,163 furniture stores in Ecuador, an increase of 4.38% compared to 2023. Among these, 1,026 (88.22%) were individually owned, while the remaining 137 (11.78%) belonged to larger brands. The three provinces with the highest number of furniture stores were Pichincha (390 stores), Guayas (293 stores), and Azuay (192 stores). The average age of furniture stores in Ecuador is 3 years and 10 months.

Furniture stores are also actively expanding their online presence, with a strong footprint on multiple platforms: 32 have LinkedIn accounts, 329 have Facebook pages, 227 are active on Instagram, 122 have X (formerly Twitter) accounts, 37 use TikTok, and 131 have YouTube channels. Approximately 518 furniture stores have their own websites, while the remaining 645 do not.

Ecuador Launches Amazon Biological Corridor Project

Ecuador has launched the Amazon Biological Corridor Fund, aiming to protect 4.6 million hectares of Amazon rainforest through an innovative "debt-for-nature" mechanism.

The project is supported by Ecuador's Ministry of Environment. The Andean nation has converted its external debt into ecological investment, thereby releasing significant resources for environmental protection.

Through a financial agreement, Ecuador has refinancing US$1.53 billion in debt, saving over US$800 million in fiscal expenditures and providing US$460 million in funding for sustainable development projects over the next 17 years.

Projects funded by the fund will focus on ecosystem restoration, forest management, the bioeconomy, and strengthening local communities. Relevant entities, including the public sector, private sector, and academia, can participate, with a deadline of May 26, 2026, ensuring broad and diverse collaboration.