INFOR 2026 Directory: Chile has 1,197 primary forest industry plants in operation

21 July 2026

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The Forest Institute (INFOR) released the 2026 edition of the Directory of the Primary Forest Industry in Chile, a document prepared based on the national registry conducted during the first four months of this year by the Forest Information and Economics Area. The study identified a total of 1,197 establishments in operation throughout the country, distributed between the Coquimbo and Magallanes regions.

The directory considers the production units that were operating during 2025 and confirms the predominance of sawmills within the forest value chain. Of the total establishments, 877 are sawmills, followed by 176 wood chip plants, 110 post and pole treatment plants, 24 board and veneer factories, and 10 pulp and paper plants.

Regional leadership

The La Araucanía Region leads in the number of production units with 247 establishments in operation, followed by Biobío with 201 and Maule with 198. Further behind are Los Lagos (138), Los Ríos (130), and Ñuble (121), consolidating the south-central area of the country as the main development hub for the Chilean primary forest industry.

Biobío stands out for concentrating the largest number of wood chip plants in the country, with 51 operating units, while Maule records 49. In the case of sawmills, La Araucanía leads with 210 plants, followed by Los Lagos (129), Biobío (126), and Los Ríos (119).

Meanwhile, pulp and paper plants continue to be the least numerous, with only 10 establishments nationwide, mainly distributed among the Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Ríos, and Ñuble regions.

Higher added value

The report also shows that a significant number of sawmills have advanced towards the processing and remanufacturing of products with higher added value. Currently, 17 sawmills produce and market structural sawn timber, while 22 produce remanufactured products such as blanks, blocks, cutstock, and glued panels.

Likewise, 26 plants manufacture packaging products, mainly pallets, and another 24 produce doors, windows, and their respective frames, reflecting a growing productive diversification within the sector.

The 2026 Directory of the Primary Forest Industry thus consolidates itself as a key tool for understanding the territorial distribution and productive capacities of the Chilean forest sector, providing an updated snapshot of an industry that continues to be relevant for economic development and job creation in various regions of the country.

Primary forest industry in figures