Global timber market review #10-2015

– Total EU imports of Russian birch plywood increased 10% to 785,000 m3 in 2014, reports Fordaq. The market is widely distributed across the continent. In 2014, there was a particularly sharp increase in imports to Germany, which is the largest consumer.

– For the first quarter of 2015, operating profit of Södra Wood improved slightly and totalled SEK 22 million, mainly due to more favourable exchange rates and an improved sawing yield. The increase in sales of interior wood products in Sweden and Norway was partially offset by higher raw material costs.

– Swedish companies BillerudKorsnas AB and Baltic Resources AB have signed an agreement on acquisition of 100% stake in Latvian wood pellet producer Latgran by Estonian company Graanul Invest. The deal will be closed in July 2015. Latgran produced 497,000 tonnes of industrial wood pellets at four factories last year, registering a turnover of EUR 73 million.

– In the first quarter of the year, paper and paperboard production volume in Finland totalled 2.7 million tonnes, which is 1.4 percent more than in the corresponding period of 2014, reports Fordaq quoting FFIF.

– Rörvik Timber invests SEK 90 million (EUR 9,5 million) in developing Linghem sawmill outside Linköping, Sweden. The investment will be carried out in several stages, the first one being a new production line for small logs and drying capacity expansion.

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.