Global Trends Review

The 35,000 members of the European Organisation of the Sawmill Industry (EOS) produced 75.7 million m3 of softwood lumber in 2012 – 4.5% less than the year before, Holzkurier reported. A challenging situation on the log procurement front...

To stop long lasting deflation, Japanese government took monetary easing policy, which depreciated yen’s exchange rate sharply in short time, ITTO reported. The yen/dollar rate was 78 last autumn, now it plunged to 102. Also the yen depreciated...

Sawlog prices were up in practically all regions in the 1Q/13, but they were still generally lower than they were a year ago, as reported in WRQ report by Wood Resources International. The biggest increases from the previous...

Weaker lumber prices may hinder any further sawmill start-ups in North America, as reported by International Wood Markets. Until prices in North America stabilize, buyers in China and Japan are likely to act defensively, buying only fill-in quantities....

In the latest contracts concluded with buyers in East Asia, Baltic shippers have agreed increases of €25-30/m3 on the softwood lumber prices that applied in the first quarter, EUWID Wood reported. In North Africa, prices in the hitherto...

The slight decline in North American OSB and softwood plywood prices seen in the first half of April has intensified in the past fortnight, EUWID Wood reported. The slump in OSB prices, in particular, is being attributed mainly...

Major Canadian and North-West U.S. companies posted first-quarter results last week. Mercer International Inc., operating in Canada and Germany, reported net loss of €0.4 million compared to net income of €1.2 million in 1Q 2012. Total revenues for...

The largest Scandinavian companies posted not very cheerful Q1 results. Setra’s net loss was SEK 27 million, which is on par with Q1 2012 levels. Sales decreased slightly. According to company’s CEO Stefan Lundin, strengthening Swedish krona had...

The spring forecast by the Pellervo Economic Research Institute (PTT) in Finland predicts rising softwood lumber exports and higher selling prices for 2013, EUWID Wood reported. The profitability of the Finnish sawmilling industry is expected to ameliorate generally....

Since April 15, 2013, WhatWood launches English version of Global Trends Review, as announced earlier. Sawlog prices in Europe were generally lower in 2012 than in 2011 because of lower log demand from the sawmilling sector, as reported...