Importation of Logs, Lumber and Plywood to Japan in 2011 is Likely to be at Its Highest Since 2008 Because of Post-Earthquake and Tsunami Re-Building, Reports the WRQ
Japan is in urgent need of pre-fabricated houses and manufactured wood products in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country in early March. Longer term, it can be expected that imports of commodity products such as plywood, lumber and logs will increase to this country, which is already one of the largest importers of wood products in the world, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - March 29, 2011
Wood Pellet Exports from the US and Canada to Europe Reached 1.6 Million Tons in 2010, a Doubling of Shipments in Just Two Years
Over the past two years, North America has become a major supplier of wood pellets to Europe. In 2010, an estimated 1.6 million tons of pellets were shipped from the US and Canada to the Netherlands, the UK and Belgium, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. This is a doubling of volume compared to 2008. - March 12, 2011
Global Trade of Wood Chips Was Up in 2010 After a Sharp Decline in 2009 with China Becoming a Major Importer, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Global trade of wood chips was up 25 percent in 2010 because of increased production of pulp and paper products worldwide. China showed the greatest growth in chip imports with an increase over 400 percent in the past two years, as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly. Australia continues to be the major exporter and shipped 11 percent more in 2010 than in the previous year. - February 16, 2011
Global Sawlog Prices in the 3Q 2010 Were Almost Back Up to Pre-Crisis Levels
Sawlog costs for many sawmills around the world went up during 2010, and the Global Sawlog Price Index reached the highest level in over two years in the 3Q/10, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. The biggest wood price increases occurred in Western US, Germany, Sweden and Northwest Russia. - February 03, 2011
Wood Fiber Costs for Eastern Canada Pulp Mills the Lowest in 10 Years, and Lower Than in Most European Countries
Over the past 20 years, pulp mills in Eastern Canada have consistently had higher wood fiber costs than the mills in the Western provinces with the exception of a short period in 1995, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. In the 4Q/10, softwood chip prices had fallen in Quebec and Ontario and increased in British Columbia and Alberta resulting in the smallest cost gap between the two regions in 10 years. - February 03, 2011
US and Canadian Log and Lumber Exports to China Up Over 150 Percent in 2010, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The value of softwood logs and lumber exported from North America to China reached over 1.6 billion dollars in 2010, which was 150 percent higher than the previous year and more than ten times as much as in 2006, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - January 07, 2011
European Sawmills’ Profitability is Being Squeezed by High Log Costs and Declining Lumber Prices
Sawlog costs in Europe have gone up more than lumber prices the past year, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. With the expected decline in lumber consumption, many sawmills in Europe are considering reductions in their operating rates. As a consequence, prices for sawlogs are likely to drop from their two–year highs in the coming months. - December 07, 2010
Wood Fiber Costs for the Global Pulp Industry in the 3Q/10 Were Close to the Highest Level in Two Years
The cost for wood fiber accounts for almost 60 percent of the total production costs when manufacturing pulp. Both softwood and hardwood wood fiber price indices, SFPI and HFPI, have increased about six percent over the past year, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - November 18, 2010
FOEX Indexes and Wood Resources International to Partner in the Launching of Global Wood Chip Price Indices
FOEX and WRI have agreed to partner in the launching of global wood chip price indices. The combined efforts will ensure that the indices, whose launch is planned for early 2011, will be statistically reliable and thus well suited for forest and energy companies who can use price indices for benchmarking, as well as the financial community, which can use the Indices as price risk management tools. - October 29, 2010
China’s Hunger for Wood Raw-Material Pushes Timber Prices Upward, Increasing the Importation of Logs and Wood Chips to Record Levels in 2010, Reports the WRQ
The forest industry in China is continuing its expansion, and with limited domestic timber resources, importation of logs and wood chips are at an all-time high, especially as tight supply of domestic logs has increased local log prices to new highs in the 2Q/10, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - October 20, 2010
Woody Biomass Prices in the US Increased in the 3Q/10 After Having Trended Downward Since Early 2009, Reports NAWFR
Prices of wood fiber used for energy declined during most of the recession, partly as a result of the low cost of fossil fuels, which can serve as an alternative source for many industrial energy consumers. However, in the 3Q, biomass prices were up in the South, the Northwest and Southwest, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. This trend break occurred mainly because of reduced fiber supply and generally lower biomass inventories. - September 27, 2010
Wood Costs for Sawmills and Pulp Mills in Sweden on the Rise in 2010, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Continued healthy markets for lumber, pulp and paper has kept demand for logs at high levels in Sweden. As a result, log and wood chip prices have increased substantially the past 12 months, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - September 21, 2010
Wood Fiber Costs for the Global Pulp Industry Fell in the 2Q/10 After Having Increased for 18 Months, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The global pulp industry benefited from lower wood fiber costs and higher product prices in the 2Q/10. Wood chip and pulpwood prices fell the most in the US, Sweden, Finland, Australia and Eastern Canada. Both the softwood and hardwood wood fiber price indices (SFPI and HFPI) fell for the first time since early 2009, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - August 14, 2010
Global Trade of Softwood Logs Has Increased in 2010 After Having Fallen 30 Percent in Two Years, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Higher worldwide demand for forest products has increased global shipments of softwood logs by 20 percent in 2010, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. This year may be a turning point for global log trade, which had fallen 30 percent between 2007 and 2009. - August 09, 2010
Exports of Lumber and Logs from New Zealand on Pace to Reach a Record in 2010, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Higher demand for forest products in China, South Korea and India is benefiting log and lumber exporters in New Zealand. The value of exported forest products have increased over 54% in 2010, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The strengthening export market has pushed domestic sawlog prices to their highest levels in eight years. - July 24, 2010
Energy Companies in Europe Show Increased Interest in Sourcing Biomass from the US South, Reports the North American Wood Fiber Review
Woody biomass in the US South is attracting interest from European energy companies in their search for long-term, reliable and competitively priced supply sources, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. The increased competition for wood fiber has pushed pine pulpwood prices upward in the Southeastern states this past year. - July 16, 2010
Australia Has Increased Chip Exports of Both Eucalyptus and Pine in 2010, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Export of wood chips from Australia is on the rebound, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. After last year’s ten-year low, shipments so far in 2010 are up 38 percent for pine chips and 12 percent for Eucalyptus chips. In addition, an estimated 100,000 tons of wood pellets will be shipped to Europe this year. - July 11, 2010
Eucalyptus Log Prices in Brazil Have Gone Up 25% the Past Year, Almost Reaching the Global Average Hardwood Fiber Price Index in the 1Q/2010, Reports the WRQ
The supply and demand for Eucalyptus logs in Brazil has been in balance the past year, which has resulted in stable log prices in the local currency, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. As a result of the strengthening Real, log costs have gone up in US dollar terms and were 25 percent higher in the 1Q/10 than in early 2009. - June 29, 2010
Global Sawlog Prices Up 17% the Past 12 Months with the Biggest Gains Seen in Northern Europe and Oceania, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
In the 1Q/2010, the Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) reached US$76.77/m3, the highest level in over a year, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. Much of the increase has been the result of a weaker US dollar, but sawlog costs have also gone up in local currencies in many markets, including Finland, Sweden, Germany, Latvia, Russia and New Zealand. - June 09, 2010
Biomass Now Generates 32% of All Energy in Sweden, Causing Increased Competition for Pulpwood, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Biomass has now surpassed oil to become the number one source for energy generation in Sweden. The increased competition for logs and wood chips between the pulp industry and energy sector has pushed wood fiber prices to new highs, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - May 27, 2010
Wood Fiber Prices for the Global Pulp Industry Rise 11%, Reaching Pre-Financial Crisis Levels in the 1Q/2010, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The strong pulp market has pushed wood fiber costs upward in most regions around the world the past 12 months. Both the softwood and hardwood wood fiber price indices (SFPI and HFPI) have gone up the past year and were more than 11 percent higher in the 1Q/10 as compared to 1Q/09, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - May 25, 2010
Biomass Prices Throughout the US Have Been Impacted by the Federal Program BCAP, Reports the North American Wood Fiber Review
The cost for wood biomass fell in two of the major markets in the US in the 1Q 2010 partly because of the federal program BCAP, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. The federal government is currently considering different programs of how to contribution to an increased use of renewable energy sources. - May 08, 2010
Global Shipments of Wood Chips Fell 14% in 2009; China Bucked the Trend, Tripling Its Imports to Become the World’s Second Largest Chip Importer, Reports WRQ
The international financial crisis in 2009 had a major negative impact on worldwide demand for pulp and paper products. As a result, the consumption of wood chips and pulpwood for pulp production was lower and global trade of wood chips fell 14%, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. China bucked this trend, almost tripling its imports to became the world’s second largest importer of wood chips last year. - April 23, 2010
Wood Fiber Price Trends Were Mixed in the US in the 1Q/2010; Up in the South and the Lake States, But Falling in the Northwest, Reports NAWFR
Wood fiber costs rose in the US South and in the Lake States during the 1Q because of improved pulp markets and a tight wood fiber supply. In Northwestern US, the picture was different, with reduced production of pulp and paper resulting in declining fiber consumption and lower prices for both wood chips and pulplogs, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. - April 17, 2010
Softwood Log Prices Increased in Russia in 2009, While Hardwood Prices Fell Because of a 72% Decline in Log Exports, Reports the WRQ
Despite large timber resources, Russia struggles to attract investments within the forest industry because of political and financial uncertainty in the country. Domestic prices for softwood sawlogs and pulplogs were up in 2009, while hardwood log prices fell as a result of a sharp decline in log exports to Finland, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - April 14, 2010
Global Lumber Markets Improved in Late 2009 with Prices Moving Upward in North America and the Nordic Countries, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Softwood lumber prices were up in both North America and Europe in the 4Q, but it was more the result of lower inventory levels and reduced production rather than an increase in demand, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The hot market for lumber last year was China, which increased imports by 75% thereby passing Japan as the largest importer in Asia. - April 13, 2010
Pulp and Paper Manufacturers Worldwide Consumed 75 Million Tons of Woody Biomass for Energy in 2009, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The global pulp and paper industry has substantially increased its use of woody biomass for energy the past few years, which has consequently reduced dependence on fossil fuels, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. Since 2006, energy generated from biomass has gone up over 50%, last year accounting for 18% of the total energy consumption by this industry sector. - March 09, 2010
Hardwood Fiber Costs for the Global Pulp Industry Increased Over 15% in 2009, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Wood fiber costs for pulp mills worldwide increased for the fourth consecutive quarter in the 4Q/09. During 2009, the Hardwood Wood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) moved up 15.4%, while the Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) was up 10.5%, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - February 13, 2010
Softwood Sawlog Prices in Brazil in 4Q/09 Were Down 11% from Their Peak in 2008 Because of Weak Export Lumber Markets, Reports Wood Resource Quarterly
Lumber exports from Brazil have fallen 45% in two years, resulting in reduced demand for sawlogs and lower log prices. In the 4Q/09, pine sawlog prices were down 11% from their peak in 2008, but were still over 300% higher than six years ago, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly - February 10, 2010
The New US Federal Program BCAP is Intended to Increase the Supply of Woody Biomass. Will It?
In an effort to increase the usage of renewable energy, the US government has implemented a new program, called BCAP, which will subsidize the collection of biomass in 2010 and 2011. Over 500 million dollars has been allocated for the first three months of 2010, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. There is much uncertainty about how much additional biomass that will actually enter the market as a result of the program. - January 26, 2010
Global Sawlog Prices Jumped Almost 8% in the 3Q/09 Because of Improved Lumber Markets in the US and Europe, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
In the 3Q/09, the Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) had the highest quarter-to-quarter jump in the 15-year history of the Index, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. The Index increased for the third straight quarter and reached just over US$73/m3. - January 08, 2010
Global Softwood Lumber Markets Were Mixed in the 3Q/09 - Up in China and Northern Africa, While Still Slow in the US and Japan, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Softwood lumber imports to China have increased by 81% in 2009. It is not inconceivable that China will import more lumber than Japan in 2009, a historical first. Canadian sawmills have been the major beneficiaries of this new fast-growing market, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - January 05, 2010
Rapid Expansion of Wood Pellet Capacity in North America Drives Sawdust and Wood Chip Prices Upward, Reports the North American Wood Fiber Review
The wood pellet industry in North America has grown six-fold since 2004, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. The dramatic expansion has resulted in higher costs for sawdust and wood chips in the regions with the greatest growth, including Western US and Canada. - December 17, 2009
Hardwood Fiber Costs for the Global Pulp Industry Have Surpassed the Cost for Softwood Fiber in 2009 as Demand for Hardwood Pulp Rose, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Higher hardwood pulpwood costs in Brazil, Australia, Russia and Sweden pushed the 3Q/09 Global Hardwood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) to the highest level in 12 months, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The HFPI was over six percent higher than the Global Softwood Fiber Price Index (SFPI), the biggest difference in 21 years. - December 04, 2009
Wood Costs Have Remained Unchanged for Canadian Pulp Mills in 2009 Despite Tighter Wood Chip Supply, Reports the North American Wood Fiber Review
The pulp industry in Canada has sharply reduced production the past two years both as a result of weaker pulp and paper markets worldwide and also because of less competitive pulp manufacturing facilities. Wood costs have increased for many plants as the result of reduced availability of relatively inexpensive sawmill residuals, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. - November 03, 2009
Global Trade of Wood Chips Down 26% in 2009 as Pulpmills Reduce Production Worldwide, Reports Wood Resources International
The international financial crisis has put a damper on global trade of wood chips used for pulp manufacturing in 2009, reports Wood Resources International. The biggest decline has been in shipments from Australia, South Africa and Uruguay to Japan. - October 09, 2009
Exports of Wood Chips from Australia Have Declined 28% in 2009 But the Country is Still the Largest Chip Exporter in the World, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Australia, the world’s largest chip exporter, has reduced Eucalyptus and pine chip exports substantially in 2009 due to weak pulp markets in Japan. In the domestic market, pulpwood prices have increased over 13% in US dollars this year as the Australian currency has strengthened, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - October 01, 2009
Imports of Logs, Lumber and Pulp to China Increased Substantially in the 2Q/09 as the Country’s Economy Grow by Almost 8%, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
China became the major import destination for many globally traded forest products in 2009. The country is the world’s largest importer of wood pulp and logs, and was the 2nd largest importer of softwood lumber in the world in the 2Q/09, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - September 13, 2009
Sweden Consumes More Than 20% of the World’s Wood Pellets and Demand is Growing, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The decision by EU to use a minimum of 20% renewable energy by 2020 has driven a rapid increase in wood pellet production in Europe. Sweden, Germany, Denmark and the UK are expected to have the fastest growth in consumption the coming 10 years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - September 11, 2009
The Brazilian Pulp Industry Increase Production and Pulpwood Costs Are Going Up in 2009, Reports Wood Resource Quarterly
Brazil increased pulp production in 2008 by about eight percent. Wood fiber costs have remained unchanged in the local currency in the 2Q/09 but were eight percent higher in US dollar terms as compared to the previous quarter, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - September 08, 2009
Global Sawlog Prices Close to Five-Year Low Because of Weak Lumber Markets in the 2Q/09, Reports Wood Resource Quarterly
Prices for softwood lumber have fallen in most markets worldwide the past year, including in Europe, North America and Japan, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The weak lumber markets have pushed sawlog prices close to a five-year low. - August 25, 2009
Wood Costs Were 53% of the Total Production Costs for Pulp Mills Worldwide in the 1Q/09, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The largest cost component when manufacturing wood pulp is the cost of wood fiber. In the 1Q/09, this cost was 53% of the total production cost worldwide. Both the relative and nominal cost of wood have declined the past year; wood fiber costs in the 2Q/09 were at their lowest levels in over two years, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - August 14, 2009
Pulpmills in the US South Had Some of the Lowest Wood Fiber Costs in the World in the 2Q/2009, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The US South has the largest pulp industry in the world and this industry has enjoyed low wood raw-material costs for a very long time. This trend continued in 2009, with wood chip and pulpwood costs that were substantially lower than global average costs, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - July 21, 2009
Wood Costs for Pulpmills in Sweden and Finland Have Fallen Over 30 Percent the Past 12 Months, According to the Wood Resource Quarterly
Wood prices in Sweden and Finland fell faster than the global average price the past year as a result of reduced operating rates for pulp mills in those two countries. Despite this precipitous drop in wood cost (more than 30%), the Nordic region still has one of the highest wood fiber costs in the world, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - July 14, 2009
The Black Liquor Tax Credit in the US Has Limited the Fall of Wood Chip and Pulpwood Prices in the 2Q/09, Reports the North American Wood Fiber Review
In 2008, US pulp companies started to take advantage of a loophole in the US tax law, which will result in an influx of billions of dollars to a struggling industry. As a consequence, prices for wood chips and pulpwood in the US have not fallen as much as they would have without the subsidy, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review - July 09, 2009
The Slumping Economy Has Reduced Sawlog Prices in Europe and North America to the Lowest Levels in Five Years, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Softwood lumber markets have continued to weaken and as a result, demand for sawlogs has fallen worldwide and the Global Conifer Sawlog Price in the 1Q/2009 was down 26 percent from a year ago, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. - June 30, 2009
The Pulp Industry in Japan Imported 72 Percent of Its Wood Fiber Needs in 2008, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Wood fiber consumption by the Japanese pulp industry reached a record high in 2008. Over 72 percent of the consumed wood chips were imported, most from hardwood plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. The costs of imported wood chips have increased substantially the past three years, reaching their highest level in at least 20 years during the 4Q/08 reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - June 25, 2009
Chile Increased Both Domestic Pulpwood Consumption and Wood Chip Exports in 2008, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
Increased supply of wood from Eucalyptus plantations in Chile has made it possible to both expand the domestic consumption of pulpwood and increased wood chips exports the past three years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly - June 05, 2009
Wood Fiber Costs Are Rising for Wood Pellets Manufacturers in Europe Because the Industry is Expanding Rapidly, Reports the Wood Resource Quarterly
The expanding wood pellet industry in Europe is increasingly relying on pulpwood and wood chips for its raw-material needs, as the supply of lower-cost sawdust cannot meet the fast rise in demand for wood fiber. The biomass sector is now competing with both the wood-based panel manufacturers and pulpmills for wood residues and logs, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - June 03, 2009
Sharply Declining Wood Costs for Pulpmills Worldwide in the 1Q 2009, According to Wood Resource Quarterly
Wood costs, the largest cost component when producing wood pulp, have fallen substantially in all regions of the world the past nine months. The biggest reductions have occurred in western North America, Oceania, Latin America and the Nordic countries, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. - May 29, 2009