Imports of flooring products from tropical countries dropped 21 percent in the European Union during the first half of 2018, according to ITTO.
The value of EU imports of wood flooring fell 18 percent to $41.7 million compared with the same period last year.
The decline in imports from tropical countries is indicative of increased competition from European and Chinese manufacturers, as well as non-wood alternatives and trends favoring more temperate timbers, according to the report.
Imports of hardwood flooring from Brazil declined 45 percent. Imports from Malaysia, Indonesia and Peru dropped 6 percent, 9 percent and 53 percent, respectively.
The two largest markets for tropical wood flooring in the EU are France and Belgium, where imports declined 49 percent and 18 percent, respectively.
Denmark, however, offset some of the dramatic decreases during the six-month period, increasing its imports of tropical flooring by 82 percent, becoming the third largest EU market for tropical flooring.
