The Finnish pulp and paper industry production was up about eleven percent, and the wood products industry’s production increased by some 14 percent last year, according to statistics from the Finnish Forest Industries Federation. In total, the forest industry recorded an annual production increase of some twelve percent.The Finnish Forest Industries Federation estimates that the value of forest industry production increased to over 19 billion Euros in 2010, up almost 25 percent from 2009. The pulp and paper industry accounted for a majority, some 14 billion Euros, of this. About 5.5 billion Euros came from the wood products industry.Production volumes increased in all sectors of the forest industry. Finland produced 6.7 million tons of pulp last year, 22 percent more than in 2009. Paper and paperboard production rose to 11.8 million tons, up more than eleven percent from the previous year, while sawn timber production increased by 17 percent from 2009 to 9.4 million cubic meters.According to the Forest Industries Federation, the continuation of the positive development after industry companies have finished implementing structural changes will depend on whether or not domestic costs are kept in check.“Exports account for one half of Finland’s prosperity, so changes that affect the operating environment of the industry are of huge significance. Rising domestic costs have a direct impact on the competitiveness of the forest industry’s export products. Energy and fuel taxes will top €100 million this year alone, and this is eroding our ability to compete in the international markets,” Timo Jaatinen, Director General of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation, points out.