Although the covid-19 continues, and the blockade has slowed trade in many European countries, from January to April 2020, the EU's softwood exports to China have increased by nearly 30%.

But at the same time, from 2017 to 2019, more than 270 million cubic meters of timber forest in central Europe were damaged by a variety of factors: mainly changing climate conditions, namely hotter, drier summers and warmer winters. Coupled with frequent storms, this creates ideal conditions for the spread of spruce bark beetles, especially at low altitudes. Many countries have been damaged, including Poland, Switzerland, Slovakia, Italy and Sweden, but Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria have suffered the most damage. The three countries have serious outbreaks.