Eurobois 2026: French sawmilling sector at a crossroads as production falls and imports rise

France’s sawmilling industry is entering a decisive decade, caught between structural decline in the number of mills, weak construction activity and increasing pressure on forest resources. A new forward-looking study presented at the Eurobois trade fair, “La scierie 2024-2032”, outlines the sector’s likely trajectory and challenges the more alarmist forecasts of outright disappearance. France currently counts around 1,200 sawmills, making primary wood processing a central link in the forestry value chain. Yet more than 50 units have disappeared each year for the past two decades. If that pace continues, the total could fall below ...