Market structure analysis of wood panels industries: plywood, MDF and OSB, in the State of Parana

Abstract

This research aims to analyze market structure of wood panels industries: plywood, OSB and MDF, in the State of Parana. In order to analyze the current situation of wood panels industry in Parana it was improved a literature review based on: main applications, number of employees, number of companies, timber consumption, nominal capacity, effective production, price, value and quantity of exported and imported panels, and apparent consumption of those segments. The market structure, among the different wood panels types, was analyzed using the Model Structure - Conduct - Performance, which revealed that industries of reconstituted wood panels (MDF and OSB) are more competitive than the plywood industry, because their more vertical structure in relation to capital and intensive technology. Plywood is a high value product with high quality, but its cost compared to its competitors is higher. Prospects of the Parana State’s wood panels industry indicate increasing consumption of reconstituted panels, and a decreasing consumption of plywood, due to its substitution in recent years.