The European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) said later that sawmills would have to adjust their market prices for sawn beech and oak lumber, and highlighted supply problems of raw material in some regions.
Spokesperson Rene Maechler said demand for oak had been dynamic and the outlook for beech sawmilling was also better. Beech log prices for C-wood had risen 15-20% in the last year due to higher demand for energy wood. Recent standing wood auctions for oak in France and Belgium had brought cost increases of 20%.
The EOS called for regional supply of raw materials over supra-regional marketing as a priority and a reduction in the export of raw materials to guarantee the inter-European supply of sawmills in the future.
