Wood Industry News from Chile

Francisco Ruiz-Tagle, who has led CMPC since 2018, will leave on April 30, 2027, and the board has started searching for a successor.

The Chilean wood-based panel maker’s revenue rose 5% to $72.3 million; it also plans to concentrate production in Chile.

Smurfit Westrock expects price increases to more than offset freight and energy costs, with full benefits into 2027.

The roughly 60,000 hectares of mainly radiata pine plantations in the Maule region make up almost 5% of CMPC's forestland.

Brazil remained the top supplier as its share fell 4.1 pp; Thailand grew 25.9% and Brazil fell 14.1%

Russia remained the largest supplier as its share rose 0.5 pp; Chile's shipments rose 1.5 times and Finland's fell 26.3%

The United States remained the largest buyer as its share rose 7.4 pp; Guatemala's purchases rose 19% and Peru's fell 36%.

South Korea remained the largest buyer as its share rose 1 pp; Peru's purchases rose 1.5-fold and U.S. shipments fell 62%.

The projects will modernize the Los Ángeles remanufacturing plant and increase annual capacity at the Mulchén sawmill.

United States supplied 56% of Chile's plywood exports, Colombia's shipments rose 82%, and New Zealand's fell 24%.

China took 62% of Chile's wood pulp exports, United Arab Emirates shipments rose more than threefold and Japan's fell 13%.

Santiago paper machine produces 250,000 tons annually, integrates recycled paper across Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador.

Thailand gained 12 percentage points of South Korea's hardwood chips imports; South Korea imported 307 thousand tonnes.

Latin America remains a low‑cost source at about 95 million m3 annually while Oceania’s supply may fall by roughly three million m3 by 2035.

Visual Analyzer R7 units scheduled for late 2026 delivery to improve defect detection and repair accuracy.

Core strategy targets $1.5 billion over 5 years across Chile, Uruguay and Brazil following Plateau acquisition.