To determine the strategic directions of development of the woodworking industry of the country, a structural-logical scheme of scientific research is proposed, which includes the following stages: identification of the main substantive determinants of ensuring the development of the woodworking industry of the countries over the world; assessment of raw material potential and competitiveness of the woodworking industry of the world countries; modeling the impact of raw materials potential on the competitiveness of the woodworking industry in the countries of the world; determination of priority directions of development of the woodworking industry of these countries. An integral assessment of the raw material potential of the woodworking industry of the world countries was carried out by the following components: forest cover of the territory, reserves of the forest stand, the total volume of wood production, the volume of production of business wood, which made it possible to determine the level and disproportions of the development of raw materials for the woodworking industry of the countries of the world. According to the value of the integral indicator of the raw material potential of the woodworking industry in 2020, from 36 countries chosen, Finland, Canada, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia were included in countries with a high level of raw material potential of the woodworking industry, while the countries with the lowest level were Greece, Mexico, Italy, China, the Netherlands, and Ukraine. The level of competitiveness of the woodworking industry of Ukraine and the world countries is assessed. The leading countries in terms of competitiveness of the woodworking industry in 2020 included Brazil, Russia, Ukraine, Canada, Finland, while the countries with a low level of competitiveness of the woodworking industry included the Netherlands, Greece, Great Britain, Korea, Japan, and Italy. The carried out analysis allows to recommend for the group of leading countries in terms of competitiveness of the woodworking industry (including Ukraine) to focus on increasing exports of woodworking goods with high added value, such as sheet wood materials. A modeling of the influence of raw material potential on the level of competitiveness of the woodworking industry of the world countries is fulfilled. It is determined that the strategic directions of development of the woodworking industry of the countries of the world are to increase the output of products with high added value and the introduction of measures for the rational use of forest resources.