Romania's forestry sector and wood-based industries annually inject 9.86 billion Euros into the nation's economy. This substantial figure accounts for both direct impacts and indirect and induced effects. Additionally, the sectors supply the national budget with 3.2 billion Euros in tax revenues and social health insurance contributions, and provide employment to over 330,000 individuals, both directly and indirectly.
In terms of GDP, the direct contribution from these sectors stood at 1.6% in 2020, while the total impact, incorporating indirect and induced effects, was considerably larger, reaching 4.5%. Comparatively, the afforestation degree in Romania is 29%, which falls below the EU average of 38%. This discrepancy, coupled with the existence of approximately 2 million hectares of unused land, indicates significant untapped potential for afforestation and the expansion of wood-based industries in the country.
Furthermore, Romania's current harvest rate of commercial volume is 33% of the total annual forest growth, compared to the European average of 63% and leading countries achieving nearly or over 100%. The nation's total production of lumber is modest, averaging 2.3 cubic meters of commercial round wood per hectare, one of the lowest rates in Europe. This figure pales when compared to nations with comparable forestry conditions like Poland (4.6 mc/year/ha), Austria (4.9 mc/year/ha), and Germany (6.8 mc/year/ha).
In Romania, approximately one-third of the harvested wood is utilized as fuel for heating, marking the country as a high consumer of firewood for heating. Romania is second only to France in this regard among countries with higher wood production rates.
In the fiscal year of 2021, more than 14,900 companies active in the forestry sector and wood-based industries generated an impressive turnover of over 9.7 billion Euros, a significant increase of more than 20 percentage points from the previous year. These industries also account for exports representing over 7% of Romania's total exports, with an equal net foreign exchange contribution of around 2.2 billion Euros from both the wood processing industry and the furniture industry.
The forestry sector also serves a critical role in Romania's environmental commitments, helping the nation achieve its CO2 emissions reduction targets. Through the sector's activities, including residential heating, wood product usage, and avoiding the use of high carbon footprint materials, the equivalent of over 50 tonnes of CO2 emissions are retained or avoided annually.
Romania ranked as the seventh-largest wood producing country in Europe in 2020, generating approximately 20 million cubic meters of wood. This figure contrasts with the estimated domestic consumption of wood biomass (firewood, including biomass) of around 14 million tons, which is primarily used for heating in 3.5 million homes, predominantly in rural areas.
European statistics show that Romania's removals account for 33% of the volume of timber over bark, while the EU average is about 63%. These removals, along with losses, contribute to an annual growth of forest available for wood supply (FAWS) in Romania of approximately 44%.
In 2021, the forestry and wood processing industries accounted for over 7% of the total national exports, the highest contributors being finished products (furniture) at 46% of total exports and wood, timber, and wood articles at 41.5%. This 41.5% included exports of wood sawn or chipped lengthwise, sliced or peeled, whether or not planed, sanded, or end-jointed, of a thickness of more than 6 mm, as well as chipboard, OSB and similar panels. Imports contributed 4% to the total, with paper products being the largest category.
Finally, an examination of export and import values suggests a total net contribution of around 2.2 billion Euros from both the wood processing and furniture sectors, each holding nearly equal shares.
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