Finnish forest industry production and exports in 2003

The global economy began to show signs of a recovery towards the end of 2003. In the United States economic growth gathered pace and reached 3-4 per cent in the second half of the year. Economic growth also picked up in Japan. Growth in several Asian countries, notably China, had already started to accelerate. An improvement was also visible in Europe, although growth was still sluggish as the year neared its close.