Global timber market review #7-2015

– Ukrainian parliament (Verkhovha Rada) has imposed a 10-year ban on unprocessed log exports.

– Despite the decline in domestic consumption by 11%, Sweden’s wood pellet production increased by 4% in 2014, mainly due to increased exports.

– New, high-resolution satellite-based maps released by the University of Maryland and Google on Global Forest Watch reveal a significant recent surge in tree cover loss largely in Russia and Canada during 2013.

– The Latvian company Cross Timber Systems has launched a cross-laminated timber (CLT) production facility in Jelgava.

– The last combined heat-and-power (CHP) unit at Avedore power plant in Denmark is to be converted, and will generate power instead of coal and gas from 2016.

– The trend of B.C. forestry companies buying up American sawmills continues. Canfor Corporation announced that it has completed the purchase of the operating assets of Southern Lumber Company.

– Foreign pellet investments also continue to flow into the US. Construction of Portucel Soporcel Group’s wood pellet manufacturing facility in South Carolina has begun recently.

– SmartLam plans to build a new wood products plant at Columbia Falls Industrial Park, United States. When completed it will be the largest cross-laminated timber plant in the world.

– China’s 2014 softwood log imports amounted to 35.84 million cubic metres, according to ITTO, which is down 16% year-on-year. Major suppliers were New Zealand (11.57 million m3, +1%), Russia (10 million m3, +8%), USA (5.54 million m3, +5%) and Canada (3.02 million m3, +11%).

More detailed review of global market trends of roundwood, lumber, wood panels and pellets as well as news of the Russian timber industry; exclusive articles and interviews; over 25 pages of price charts are available in our digital Russian Timber Journal.