The Global Sawlog Price Index reached a 16-year high in the second quarter, according to Wood Resource Quarterly.
The conifer sawlog price index saw the greatest increases in Latvia, Poland, Japan, Russia and Germany, as it rose to US$92.27 per m³, 5.6% more than the previous quarter and almost 20% up from a year ago.
Latvia has registered the biggest price adjustment, up 58% since early 2009, followed by Poland (+39%), Japan (+36%), Russia (+35%) and Germany (+35%).
The higher costs have resulted from growing timber demand, not just from traditional markets such as Europe, the US and Japan, but also in China, the Middle East and North Africa.
The biggest export gains for Nordic producers have been to Morocco, “a new fast-growing market for wood products”, and Egypt, the second most important market for Finnish sawmills.