Global timber market review #14-2015

– Norwegian wood-products company Moelven will shut down Nössemark Trä AB sawmill in Sweden, Fordaq says quoting Sverige Radio. Moelven’s CEO, Erik Sjölund, hopes that a new owner could be found.

– China’s Customs has reported that timber imports through Shanghai Port in the first half of 2015 amounted to 4.43 million m3, a decline of 47% to 2014. Timber imports from North America (1.31 million m3), Africa (1.04 million m3) and Russia (0.88 million m3) accounted for about 70% of total timber imports through Shanghai Port.

– Canada’s wood products industry is benefiting from the on-going recovery in the U.S. housing market and a weaker Canadian dollar, as Fordaq reports quoting The Conference Board of Canada. However, the growth is set to eventually slow due to timber shortages in B.C. and softer growth in demand from China.

– A Canadian particleboard mill Smithers of Northern Engineered Wood Products Inc. (NEWPRO), located in British Columbia, will be converted into a wood pellet manufacturing plant.

– UK’s imports of wood pellets dropped by 14% in May to 454,769 tonnes. A substantial increase in imports from Canada could be noticed, however, only partially offsetting lower supply from the US.

– In July, German ENplus A1 quality wood pellets have become cheaper by 1.8% over June.

– The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has signed the law on the moratorium of raw wood exports for 10 years, for all species except pine since 1 November 2015, and for pine since 1 January 2017.

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.