“Renewable forest resources, wood-based panel production and sawnwood give Brazilian industry a competitive advantage that begins long before the factory”

Few furniture-producing countries combine, within their own borders, large-scale renewable forest resources, a developed wood-based panel industry and the industrial capacity to transform these raw materials into products for both domestic and export markets. Brazil is one of them.

This integration – from the forest to the manufactured product – represents one of the structural advantages of Brazilian industry and helps explain its ability to compete in markets where raw material origin, scale, design, traceability and environmental responsibility are becoming increasingly important. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

In 2024, Brazil’s planted forest value chain grew by 10.4%, well above the country’s GDP growth of 3.4%. According to the 2025 Annual Report published by the Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá), this expansion was accompanied by increases in production, exports and the area dedicated to growing trees for industrial purposes. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

A 10.52 million-hectare resource base

Brazil ended 2024 with 10.52 million hectares of planted forests for industrial purposes, an increase of 2.8% compared with the previous year.

According to Ibá, recent expansion has taken place primarily on previously degraded land, replacing low-productivity pasture. Brazil has more than 100 million hectares of pastureland with some degree of degradation and the potential for different productive and environmental uses. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

The geographical distribution of these plantations also facilitates their integration with different industrial value chains. They are concentrated mainly in the states of Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina, each with more than one million hectares.

Eucalyptus accounts for the largest share, with 8.1 million hectares, while pine covers a further 1.9 million hectares, 89% of which are concentrated in southern Brazil. Around 500,000 hectares are planted with other species, including rubber trees, teak, acacia and araucaria. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

Wood-based panel production reaches record high

For the furniture industry, one of the most direct benefits of this structure can be seen in wood-based panel production.

In 2024, Brazil produced 9.7 million m³ of wood-based panels, the highest volume in the historical series presented by Ibá and 19% above the 2023 figure. Exports increased by 38% over the same period, while domestic sales rose by 16%.

MDF accounted for 64% of domestic sales, at 5.3 million m³, while MDP represented the remaining 36%, at 2.9 million m³. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

With this performance, Brazil ranked 8th worldwide in reconstituted wood panel production, returning to the position it had held in 2022. China remains by far the global leader, with production of 108 million m³.

There is an important methodological point regarding this ranking: Brazil’s figure refers to 2024, while the figures for the other countries used by Ibá are based on FAO data for 2023. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

Beyond scale, this production capacity provides Brazil’s furniture industry with a significant domestic supply of MDF and MDP, key raw materials for a substantial part of its serial furniture production.

Brazil among the world’s ten largest sawnwood producers

The availability of sawnwood adds another dimension to this industrial base.

Considering softwood only, the criterion adopted by Ibá to avoid the influence of native forests on the comparison, Brazilian production reached approximately 7.3 million m³ in 2024. Of this total, around 5.4 million m³ went to the domestic market and 1.9 million m³ to exports. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

Within this scope, Brazil ranks 9th among the world’s largest sawnwood producers, with the United States and Russia occupying the leading positions.

This distinction is particularly relevant for international readers: the figure does not represent Brazil’s total sawnwood production, but rather the softwood segment considered in the survey. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

Certification extends beyond productive areas

The scale of Brazil’s forest resources has been accompanied by significant growth in certification.

Between 2020 and 2024, the sector’s total certified area – including both productive planted forests and conservation areas – increased from 6.8 million to 10.7 million hectares, a rise of approximately 57%.

Considering productive planted forests alone, the certified area reached 7.8 million hectares in 2024, more than double the 3.7 million hectares recorded in 2020. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

The country’s main certification systems are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification), with some areas holding both certifications.

According to data presented by Ibá, based on FSC and PEFC figures, Brazil ranks 4th worldwide in FSC-certified area and 11th in PEFC-certified area. The country is also among the world’s top 11 in FSC Chain of Custody (CoC) certifications. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

More than an environmental credential, certification has become an important commercial factor for international supply chains that require evidence of wood origin and traceability.

An advantage that begins in the forest

Understanding Brazil’s position in the international furniture market therefore requires looking beyond the finished product.

Long before manufacturing begins, there is a structure that helps underpin the industry’s competitiveness: 10.52 million hectares of planted forests, record wood-based panel production, a position among the world’s leading softwood producers and 7.8 million hectares of certified productive forest area. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

It is a combination of scale, raw material availability, industrial capacity and certification that few countries can bring together simultaneously.

For international buyers, this structure reveals something important about Brazilian furniture: the design that reaches the market begins long before the factory. It starts with a forest resource base capable of supporting production at scale while responding to growing requirements for origin, traceability and environmental responsibility. Florestas que posicionam o Bras…

BOX | BRAZIL’S FOREST BASE IN 7 FIGURES

10.52 million ha – planted forests
8.1 million ha – eucalyptus
1.9 million ha – pine
9.7 million m³ – wood-based panel production
8th worldwide – reconstituted wood panel production
7.8 million ha – certified productive forest area
10.7 million ha – total certified area, including conservation areas

Source: Ibá 2025 Annual Report – 2024 data.