New Comprehensive Study: Future Suppliers of Softwood Lumber to the US Market - Demand and Supply Outlook to 2030
The purpose of this study was to evaluate how future US demand for softwood lumber will be met as the supply dynamics of North America change and off-shore supply and production economics evolve over the next decade. - March 23, 2018
The Global Timber Price Index GSPI Was Up 4.2% in the 2Q/16 After Having Fallen to the Lowest Level Since 2009 in Early 2016
Higher sawlog prices in Russia, Brazil, Germany and British Columbia in the 2Q/16 contributed to the first increase of the GSPI sawlog price index in over two years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. An increase in lumber demand and slightly higher log trade than last year have put upward price pressure on softwood sawlogs in most major markets of the world this year. - October 16, 2016
New Zealand Log Export Volumes and Prices Have Increased in 2016 Because of Higher Shipments to India and South Korea
New Zealand, the leading softwood log exporter in the world, increased log shipments to India and South Korea during the first five months of 2016, while exports to China were down, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. With total shipments trending higher, log export prices have gone up by 36% from September of 2015 to May 2016. - August 11, 2016
The Prices for Globally Traded Hardwood Chips Fell to a Record Low in May 2016, While Softwood Chip Prices Reached the Highest Level in Seven Months
The general price trend for hardwood chip traded overseas have been downward since late 2011 when the FOEX price index reached a record high. The softwood chip price index has also fallen from a peak almost five years ago, but the price decline has been less dramatic. - August 03, 2016
European Sawlog Prices Have Fallen Over Nine Percent in Two Years with the Biggest Declines Occurring in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, Reports the WRQ
The European Sawlog Price Index (ESPI) has fallen for eight consecutive quarters to reach its lowest level since 2010, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. The biggest price declines have occurred in Central Europe. Despite substantial reductions in domestic log costs for sawmills in Austria and Germany, both countries continue to import large volumes of low cost sawlogs from neighboring countries. - August 03, 2016
Countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa Imported 10% of Internationally Traded Softwood Lumber in 2015
Northern Africa and the Middle East have become a major destination for softwood lumber produced in Europe the past ten years. In 2015, the major trade flows were from the Nordic Countries and Russia to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Algeria, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly in its latest issue. - June 16, 2016
Russian Lumber Exports Declined for the Second Consecutive Quarter in the 1Q/16 with Reduced Shipments to Europe and Egypt, While Lumber Demand in Asia Was on the Rise
Russia has increased exports of softwood lumber from seven million m3 in 2000 to 23 million m3 in 2015. In the 1Q/16, shipments declined for the second straight quarter mainly because of less demand in Europe and the CIS countries, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. Lumber export prices have fallen 36% the past two years. - June 02, 2016
Pulpmills in Eastern Canada Have Become More Competitive Following Sharply Declining Wood Costs the Past Four Years
Wood costs for pulp mills in Eastern Canada have fallen dramatically the past four years, and the region has some of the lowest wood fiber costs in North America, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. In 2012, pulp mills in Ontario and Quebec had some of the highest wood fiber costs on the continent. - June 02, 2016
Chinese Log Imports Have Trended Upward in Early 2016 with Australia Increasing Their Market Share the Most, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Increased demand for wood products and declining log inventories in China has resulted in higher importation of logs to China in the 1Q/16, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. Australia has increased its shipments almost three-fold in three years and currently, ten percent of all softwood logs unloaded in Chinese ports are from Australia. - May 21, 2016
North America Exports of Wood Pellets Reached Record-Highs in 2015, with the US Gulf States Increasing Shipments by 70% from 2Q/15 to 4Q/15, Reports the NAWFR
Exportation of wood pellets from North America totaled 6.1 million tons in 2015, which almost four times as much as in 2010, as reported in the latest issue of the North American Wood Fiber Review. In the second half of 2015, export volumes from Southern Gulf ports were up almost 70%. - May 13, 2016
Pulpwood Costs Have Fallen Substantially Worldwide with the Softwood and Hardwood Pulpwood Price Indices Being at Their Lowest Levels in Over Ten Years
The largest cost component when manufacturing wood pulp is the cost of wood fiber. This cost has declined substantially in US dollar terms the past few years with the Global Price Indices being down almost ten percent in 12 months, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - May 13, 2016
Weaker Lumber Markets and a Strengthening US Dollar Have Pushed the Global Sawlog Price Index Down Almost 22% in Two Years
Sharp reductions of sawlog prices occurred in Russia, Brazil, Central Europe and Western Canada in 2015 because of weaker currencies, less demand for lumber and reduced trade of logs, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. European sawlog prices have fallen faster than prices in most other regions of the world. - April 02, 2016
North American Overseas Pellet Exports Rose for the Second Consecutive Quarter to Reach a New Record High in the 3Q/15 with the US South Shipping 77% of the Volume
The wood pellet industry keeps investing in new production capacity in the US South because of higher pellet demand in the United Kingdom, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. In the 3Q/15, 77% of North America’s pellet exports were from the southeastern US. - February 11, 2016
Trade of Logs in Baltic Sea Region Fell 10% in 2015 Because of Substantially Lower Demand for Softwood Pulplogs in Finland and Sweden, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
After reaching a record high in 2014, log trade in the Baltic Sea fell by 10% in 2015. Most of the decline was that of softwood pulplogs, while trade of sawlogs actually increased to reach its highest level since 2007, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. Russia has been surpassed by the Baltic States as the major softwood log supply region. - February 11, 2016
China Has Become the Major Destination for Eucalyptus Chips from Australia with Record-High Shipments in 2015, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Australia has increased exportation of Eucalyptus chips by 58% in three years to reach a record-high in 2015, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. Shipments to pulp mills in China have gone up substantially and the costs for chips landed in this growing market have increased the past two years to practically equal those of chip costs delivered to Japan. - February 10, 2016
The Import Value of Logs and Lumber to China Has Fallen by 25% in 12 Months Because of Declining Housing Constructions
The reduction in house construction in China has resulted in a substantial decline in the importation of forest products during 2015, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The total value of imported softwood logs and lumber has fallen 25% and import prices have declined almost 30% that past 12 months. - February 03, 2016
Global Trade of Softwood Lumber Increased in 2015, Though Prices Have Trended Downward in Key Markets
Both domestic and export prices of softwood lumber have fallen in the US, Europe and China during the 3Q/15, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. Russian lumber exporters have had a good year with record-high export volumes, competitive export prices and 20% higher prices in Ruble terms. - December 23, 2015
Sawlog Prices Have Fallen Faster in Europe Than in the Rest of the World for the Past 18 Months, with the ESPI Price Index Reaching a Five Year Low, Reports WRQ
The European Sawlog Price Index (ESPI) has declined by almost seven percent in 18 months and in the 3Q/15, was at its lowest level in five years, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. Since early 2014, sawlog prices in Europe have fallen faster than in most other lumber-producing countries around the world. - December 23, 2015
Softwood Lumber Prices Continued to Fall in Many Markets Around the World in the 2q/15 Because of Weaker Demand for Wood Products
Despite reduced demand for lumber in the US, Europe and Asia, lumber production and trade volumes were relatively high during the first half of 2015, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The supply/demand imbalance resulted in downward price pressure in key markets during the 2Q/15. - October 16, 2015
In July 2015, Prices for Overseas Traded Hardwood Chip Were 14% Below Their Peak Four Years Ago, According to the Latest FOEX Chip Price Indexes
Prices for hardwood chips traded overseas have been in steady decline since November 2011. On the contrary, the FOEX softwood chip price index has fluctuated more the past two years and has been on an upswing for the past three months. - October 05, 2015
Brazilian Sawlog Prices Have Declined 40% Since 2011, and in the 2Q/15 Hit Their Lowest Levels in Ten Years
Sawmills in Brazil have become much more competitive in the export market the past few years because of substantially lower sawlog costs. In the 2Q/15, average log prices were down to their lowest levels in ten years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. This downward trend may rebound later in 2015 as the export market for lumber is likely to improve. - September 26, 2015
Lack of Domestic Forest Resources Has Forced the Pulp Industry in India to Increasingly Rely on Hardwood Chips from Overseas for Its Wood Fiber Needs
Growing consumption of pulp and paper in India has increased the demand for wood fiber for the domestic pulp industry in the country, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. With the lack of domestic pulpwood plantations, pulp manufacturers have for the past few years increasingly been looking overseas to South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Southeast Asia for much needed hardwood chips. - September 11, 2015
Lumber Imports to China Were Close to Record High in April; Russia, Sweden and Finland Increased Shipments the Most
In April, the import volume of softwood lumber by China reached its second highest level on record as reported by the Wood Resource Quarterly. Importation during the first four months this year was 2.1 percent higher than in the same period last year, with Russian sawmills increasing their shipments by over 13 percent. Import prices in April were at their lowest level since 2012. - June 13, 2015
Wood Pellet Exports from the US Increased for the 12th Consecutive Quarter in the 4Q/14
North American pellet exports were 22 percent higher in 2014 than in the previous year, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. While US shipments have been on a steady rise for three years, Canadian export volumes trended downward during 2014. - June 13, 2015
Importation of Logs to China Jumped 76% in March with New Zealand and Australia Increasing Their Shipments the Most
Log arrivals to China surged in March with an increase of 76% over the previous month. This came after almost a year of declining log imports. New Zealand and Australia increased their volumes the most, together accounting for a record-high share of over 50% of the total import volume. Log import prices have trended downward since early 2014. - May 04, 2015
Wood Fiber Costs for Pulp Mills in the US Northwest Have Increased Faster Than in Other Regions of the Us the Past Year
Pulp mills in the US South continued to have stable wood fiber prices in the 1Q/15 at levels lower than any other region in the country. The dramatic increase in chip prices in the Northwest during 2014 started to level off early in 2015, while tight fiber supply in both the Lake State region and in the Northeast resulted in upward price pressure, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. - April 25, 2015
Sawlog Prices Declined in Many Countries During 2014 and the GSPI Price Index in the 4Q/14 Was at the Lowest Level in Two Years
For the third consecutive quarter, the GSPI price index fell in the 4Q/2014 to the lowest level in two years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The biggest price declines the past year have occurred in Europe, Latin America and Oceania, while prices in North America have remained stable thanks to healthy domestic demand for lumber. - April 25, 2015
Softwood Lumber Prices Fell Towards the End of 2014 in the US, Japan and the Nordic Countries, While Import Prices to China Remained Unchanged from Earlier in the Year
Softwood lumber exports were 5-8% higher in Canada, Russia and the Nordic countries in 2014 compared to 2013, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. Prices for lumber trended down over the course of the year, mainly because of the strengthening US dollar and weaker wood markets in Europe and Asia. - April 25, 2015
Exportation of Logs and Lumber from Russia Failed to Increase in the 4Q/14 Despite the Advantage of an Almost 50% Depreciated Rouble
The much-depreciated Russian rouble has given Russian exporters of logs and lumber a good opportunity to increase shipments of their products. However, softwood sawlog export volumes in the 4Q/14 were up only by 2-3% from the same quarter in 2013, while lumber exports declined over the same time period, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - March 13, 2015
Softwood Log Imports to China Slowed in the 4Q/14, But 2014 Was Still a Record Year with the Import Value Surpassing 5.4 Billion Dollars
China is the largest importer of logs in the world and although the log shipments to the country slowed in the 4Q of last year, import volumes hit a record high in 2014, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The import cost of softwood logs in the 4Q/14 was seven percent below the prices seen in the 4Q/13, with the costs for logs from New Zealand and the US having fallen the most. - March 04, 2015
Sawlog Prices Fell Throughout Much of North America Late in 2014 Because of Reduced Lumber Production and Slowing Log Exports to Asia
Lower lumber production and slowing log exports to Asia resulted in generally lower sawlog prices in both the US and Canada in the 3Q/14, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. The biggest price declines were seen in the US South and in the Interior of British Columbia, where prices were down 3-10% from the 2Q/14. - March 04, 2015
Log Prices in Western US Fell in the 3Q Because Decreasing Log Exports to Asia
For many years, the sawlog market in Western US has been impacted by the demand for logs and lumber in Asia. With the constant increase in log exports, domestic sawlog prices have more than doubled over the past five years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. However, from the 1Q to 3Q in 2014, this upward trend was broken as log prices fell almost ten percent because of a weakening log export market. - February 16, 2015
Wood Pellet Exports from North America Reached a New Record High in the 3Q/14 Thanks to Higher Shipments to Asia
Asia has become a new market for wood pellet exporters in Western Canada with shipments having increased for six consecutive quarters, while Canadian exports to Europe have fallen substantially during 2014, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. - February 16, 2015
The Wood Fiber Costs for the World’s Hardwood Pulp-Producing Mills Have Declined in 2014
Reduced pulpwood prices in Sweden, Russia, Brazil and Australia in the 3Q/14 resulted in the lowest Hardwood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) since 2009, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. With mixed price trends for softwood fiber, the Softwood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) has been fairly stable the past two years. - December 20, 2014
Wood Pellet Exports from North America to Europe Plateaued During the 1H/2014 with Canadian Shipments Declining and Exports from the US South Continuing Upward
Pellet shipments from the US and Canada to Europe have gone in opposite directions in 2014, with the shipments from the US South being up ten percent from the 4Q/13 to the 2Q/14, and Canadian volumes declining 25% during the same period, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. The new expanding markets for pellet producers in Western Canada have instead been Japan and South Korea. - December 18, 2014
Sawlog Prices Fell Worldwide in the 3Q with the Biggest Declines Seen in Europe
The Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI), an index based on sawlog prices in 20 key regions around the world, fell 4.6% in the 3Q/14. The major factors for the reduced sawlog prices were the strengthening of the US dollar and weaker demand for lumber in some countries, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. The biggest price declines occurred in Russia, Western Canada, Sweden and the Czech Republic. - December 18, 2014
Softwood Lumber Prices Have Trended Downward in the US, Russia and Japan This Fall, While They Have Gone Up in China and the Nordic Countries
Prices for softwood lumber imported to China increased this fall, while they fell in Japan as the housing market weakened. In the US, lumber prices were moving downward in the 3Q, while still being close to their highest levels in ten years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. In the Nordic countries and Russia, lumber exports have increased because of higher demand for wood in key markets in Europe and the MENA countries. - December 09, 2014
Wood Fiber Consumption by the Japanese Pulp Industry Was Up Six Percent in First Half of 2014 with Hardwood Chip Supply from Vietnam and South Africa Increasing the Most
The pulp manufacturing industry in Japan has increased production levels in 2014 resulting in higher import volumes of both softwood and hardwood chips. The biggest increases in import volumes have been softwood chips from the US and hardwood chips from Vietnam and South Africa, reports Wood Resource Quarterly. Hardwood prices have trended downward the past year, while softwood prices have gone up. - December 09, 2014
New Zealand is Now the World’s Largest Supplier of Softwood Logs with Exports Increasing Fourfold to Almost Two Billion Dollars in Five Years
More than 20 percent of the world’s softwood log trade originates from New Zealand. In 2013, the country exported 57 percent of the country’s timber harvest and the value of the trade had tripled in five years, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. A majority of the log volumes were destined for China, but South Korea, India and Japan were also sourcing logs from New Zealand last year. - August 19, 2014
Lumber and Log Imports to China Slowed in Early 2014 But Picked Up in the 2Q to Reach Close to Record Highs
Wood buyers in China were more active in the late spring after a slowdown during the winter months. This resulted in increased importation of logs and lumber during the 2Q, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The biggest gains were in lumber from Russia and softwood logs from New Zealand. - August 18, 2014
Log Exports from Canada and the US to Asia Have Increased This Year with the Shipment from the US South Being 130% Higher Than in 2013
North America continues to supply China, Japan and other Asian countries with logs for their forest products sectors. Log exports from the US and Canada in the 1Q/14 were up 14% from last year, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review, with shipments from the US South having increased the most. - August 09, 2014
US Sawlog Prices Started Falling in the 2Q/14 After a Three-Year Upward Trend, This Due to Lower Lumber Prices and Weaker Log Export Markets
After a healthy 2013 and early 2014, lumber markets in the US started weakening in the spring with lumber prices falling over ten percent so far this year. The reduced lumber prices together with lower demand for US logs in Asia in the second quarter have put downward pressure on US sawlog prices so far this year, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - June 08, 2014
The Downward Trend in Australian Wood Chip Exports Was Broken in 2013 Thanks to Increased Chip Demand from Chinese Pulpmills
Australia, one of the world’s largest wood chip exporters, increased its chip shipments in 2013 after a ten-year low in 2012. In the 1Q/14, shipments were close to the highest since 2010 thanks to high demand from China. Chinese pulp mills imported almost 30% of their hardwood chip import volume from Australia during the first three months of 2014. - May 08, 2014
Wood Pellet Exports from North America to Europe Have Doubled in Two Years to Reach 4.7 Million Tons in 2013 with the US South Accounting for 63% of the Volume
North America exported wood pellets valued at over 650 million dollars in 2013, a dramatic increase of more than 250 percent in just two years, according to data compiled by the North American Wood Fiber Review. The US South shipped almost three million tons last year, which was almost two-thirds of total export volume from North America. - May 08, 2014
Global Sawlog Prices Rose in the 4Q/13 Resulting in the GSPI Reaching Its Third Highest Level Since 1995; Highest Increases in Western North America and Northern Europe
Higher demand for lumber and increased global trade of logs pushed sawlog prices upward in many markets during 2013, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. As a consequence, the GSPI price index has move upward to reach its highest level in eight years. Log prices in Western North America, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and Japan have increased the most over the past 12 months. - April 23, 2014
Increases in Russian Lumber Exports Have Not Compensated for the Decline in Log Exports That Came as the Result of Higher Log Export Tariffs by Russia in 2007
The Russian log export tax that was implemented in 2007 resulted in a sharp decline of log exportation with the Russian share of globally traded logs falling from 44% in 2006 to 15% in 2013. During the same period, lumber exports have increased but shipments have not compensated for the decline in income from the log exports, reports the WRQ. - April 23, 2014
Importation of Softwood Logs to Sweden Reached a 10-Year High in 2013 with Norway and Latvia Being the Major Suppliers of Both Pulplogs and Sawlogs
The forest industry in Sweden imported about ten percent of its wood raw-material needs in 2013, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. Softwood log imports reached a ten-year high, while there has been a decline in the importation of hardwood logs. The major log suppliers to Sweden in 2013 were Latvia, Norway, Estonia and Finland. - April 23, 2014
FOEX Indexes and Wood Resources International to Partner in the Launching of Global Wood Chip Price Indices
The new global wood chip price indices launched in cooperation between FOEX and WRI will be a valuable tool for participants in the trade of wood chip worldwide, including forest companies, energy producers and trading houses. Financial institutions use the FOEX family of Indices as benchmarks in setting prices for SWAP-deals and other financial instruments hedging against product price risks. - March 07, 2014
China Imported Logs and Lumber for a Record Nine Billion Dollars in 2013, with North America, Russia and New Zealand Being the Major Suppliers
Importation of logs and lumber to China reached a new record in 2013 with lumber imports being up 19% and log imports increasing 23% from 2012, as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly. North America, Russia and New Zealand were the major supplying countries but Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Chile and Australia saw the biggest increases in market share. - March 06, 2014
Wood Fiber Costs for Hardwood Pulp Producers Have Fallen 17% in Two Years and in the 3Q/13, Were the Lowest They Have Been Since 2009
Wood fiber costs, which account for about 60% of the production costs when manufacturing pulp, have been in steady decline in many parts of the world for the past two years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. In the 3Q/13, the Hardwood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) had fallen 17% since 2011, while the Softwood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) was down 10% over the same period. - January 22, 2014