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BOREAL TIMBERImport Wood Europe

Ontario, Canada → Europe

Certified timber from the Canadian boreal forest

Direct import from the sawmills of north-western Ontario to the European market. Twelve species, a specification written before the order, one point of contact from the forest to your yard.

The twelve species Request a quotation
12species in the rangesoftwoods and hardwoods of the boreal forest
2group companiesBOREAL TIMBER LTD (Ontario) and S.R.L. (Italy)
0%import dutyCETA Canada–European Union agreement
1point of contactfrom quotation through to after-sales

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Who we are

BOREAL TIMBER is an integrated Canada–Italy group importing and distributing timber from the boreal forest of north-western Ontario into Europe.

We started from a simple conviction: there are too many steps between the Canadian sawmill and the European buyer, and each one adds cost without adding quality. The group was built to shorten that chain — an operating company in Canada that buys where the timber grows, and a trading company in Italy that sells where the timber is needed.

We are not a trader reselling whatever the market offers. We select the sawmills in the Thunder Bay area, agree the specification with them, follow the lot from production through customs clearance, and deliver it with complete documentation. The customer deals with one supplier, one contact, and one party accountable if anything is not to specification.

We are a new organisation and we would rather say so. What we promise you today is what we can deliver today: the roadmap of capabilities coming into service is published below, year by year.

Supply chain

Why Canadian boreal timber

At the latitude of Thunder Bay, trees grow slowly. That is the technical reason this timber behaves differently.

Narrow rings, regular fibre

A short growing season produces closely spaced, uniform annual increments. The result is more regular fibre and better dimensional stability than timber grown in milder climates.

A favourable stiffness-to-weight ratio

The SPF softwoods combine modest density with good stiffness: they carry load without adding weight to the structure, and cost less to ship for a given volume.

A complete range from a single origin

The same area yields both construction softwoods and premium hardwoods such as maple, birch and ash. One supplier for very different requirements.

Managed and verifiable forests

Canada is classified as low risk for the purposes of European due diligence. Origin can be documented down to the individual harvest plot — the precondition for EUDR compliance.

Zero duty

The CETA agreement removes import duty on rough and semi-processed timber: the benefit stays with the customer rather than with customs.

Species

The range: twelve species

Eight softwoods and four hardwoods, all from the same supply area. A full technical datasheet — physical and mechanical data, regulatory framework and customs data — is available for each of them.

#SpeciesNomen. bot.SPF Density (12% MC) (kg/m³)Janka hardness (N)Principal uses
01White SprucePicea glaucaSoftwood — SPF group4252 140Structural, packaging, light joinery, soundboards
02Black SprucePicea marianaSoftwood — SPF group4502 320Structural, packaging, pulp, soundboards
03Balsam FirAbies balsameaSoftwood — SPF group4001 780Structural, plywood, pulp
04Eastern White PinePinus strobusSoftwood — pine4001 690Windows and doors, interior joinery, premium packaging
05Red PinePinus resinosaSoftwood — pine5452 490Treated poles and pylons, sleepers, structural
06Jack PinePinus banksianaSoftwood — SPF group5002 540Pallets, crates, structural, pulp
07Tamarack (American Larch)Larix laricinaSoftwood5952 620Untreated exterior use, poles, heavy crates
08Northern White CedarThuja occidentalisSoftwood3501 420Cladding, shingles, fencing, garden furniture
09Yellow BirchBetula alleghaniensisHardwood6905 610Plywood, flooring, interior doors, panelling
10Trembling AspenPopulus tremuloidesHardwood4151 560OSB, light packaging, produce crates
11Sugar Maple (Hard Maple)Acer saccharumHardwood7056 450Sports and domestic flooring, worktops, furniture
12Black AshFraxinus nigraHardwood5453 780Flooring, interior furniture, steam bending

Open the species catalogue →

Who we work for

Four different ways of buying timber. What changes for each is the specification, not the standard of service.

Timber merchants and distributors

What you need is continuity of supply and a product that resells without disputes.

  • Annual supply planning built around your stock cycles rather than around our shipments
  • A grade that stays constant over time: the specification is written once and holds for every subsequent call-off
  • A single supplier for both construction softwoods and premium hardwoods
  • Sales support material: technical datasheets, grain samples, certificates ready to pass on to your own customer

Timber frame builders and contractors

What you need is material that stands up to the calculations and paperwork that stands up to inspection.

  • Structural timber with NLGA grading and the EN 338 strength class stated on the lot certificate
  • CE marking to EN 14081-1 with a Declaration of Performance
  • KD 12–15% moisture content verified before loading: less movement in service
  • Deliveries planned around the site programme, not around the shipping calendar

Industry: packaging, pallets, furniture

What you need is volume, consistent quality and no surprises on the production line.

  • Full-container supply on a multi-year programme, with volumes and intervals fixed by contract
  • Utility grades to customer specification: where the specification is yours, we pass it to the sawmill unchanged
  • Trembling aspen and jack pine for light packaging and pallets, SPF for industrial cases
  • ISPM-15 treatment with IPPC marking on pallets and stickers

Flooring, interiors and fine joinery

What you need is selected material, consistent colour and the right moisture content first time.

  • Maple, birch and ash graded to NHLA, with the colour grades for maple
  • Moisture content matched to the end use: 6–8% for furniture and interiors, 8–10% for flooring
  • Selection by figure on request: birdseye, curly and quilted in maple
  • Manageable volumes: you do not have to commit a full container to start

2027 — 2031

The road from 2027 to 2031

Here is when each capability comes into service. The entries for future years are not yet operational at the date this page was published.

2027

Start of operations

First supplies under annual contract with pilot customers in northern Italy. FSC and PEFC Chain of Custody certification. Full-container deliveries.

2028

Consolidation

A wider customer base and KD products introduced into the mix. CE marking for structural products. ISO 9001 certification.

2029

Stock in Italy

Opening of a local stock in northern Italy for rapid deliveries and part-load orders. Commercial opening towards Germany and Austria.

2030

Extended range

Expansion into semi-finished and higher value-added products; timber with natural durability offered without chemical treatment.

2031

Full operation

A consolidated European sales network and digital customer services for ordering, tracking and certificates.

The road described here reflects the group's five-year industrial plan.

Let us talk

If you have even an approximate requirement, the fastest way to find out whether we can be useful to you is to tell us what you make and how much timber you use in a year.

  • Ask for the full technical datasheets of all twelve species
  • Ask us for an indicative specification for your application, with no obligation
  • Arrange a visit: we will come to you and see how you work the timber you buy
Request a quotation