PTT expects profits to remain poor even if sawn timber export prices grow by 2-3% in 2006 and 2007.
It believes Finnish sawn softwood production in 2006 will match last year’s 12.2 million m3.
Sawn timber exports are predicted to shrink by 3% in 2006, compared to 7.7 million m3 in 2005. But prices are forecast to rise 2-3% from the average 2005 price of 170/m3.
PTT says the industry faces problems procuring logs because of low supplies from private forest owners due to a change in the Finnish forest taxation system.
