Foreign trade in roundwood and forest industry products, 4/2023 (preliminary)

In April 2023 the exports value of forest industry products totalled EUR 1.07 billion which was in real terms 10% smaller the average monthly export value in 2022. By contrast wood imports was a fifth higher than the average for the previous year, at just over half a million cubic metres.

Wood imports

• In April wood imports totalled 0.55 million cubic meters. Of imported wood 63% was pulpwood and just under a fifth chips. The share of logs was 2% and fuelwood 13%. The remaining 3% consisted of by-products wood, mainly wood pellets.
• The import price of pine and spruce roundwood was around EUR 70 per cubic metre for both logs and pulpwood in April 2023. The prices were in real terms 6 to 9% higher than the average price previous year (deflated using wholesale price index, 1949=100). The price of birch pulpwood has fallen from its peak at the end of last year to EUR 79 per cubic metre but was still 6% higher in real terms than the average price of the previous year. The import price of chips increased to EUR 88 per cubic metre and was in real terms 22% higher. However, the price remained far from the previous year's peak. In November 2022, the price of chips was EUR 99 per cubic metre in real terms.
• In January-April wood imports totalled 2.06 million cubic meters. Of imported wood 35% originated from Estonia. The share of Latvia was 32% and Sweden 25%.

Exports of the forest industries

• In January-April the exports value of forest industry products totalled EUR 4.29 billion. Of the exports value the share of paperboard was 26%, pulp a quarter and paper 21%. The share of sawn goods was 15% and plywood 5%.
• The export price of sawn goods in April was EUR 235 per cubic metre. The price rose slightly from the beginning of the year but was 22% lower in real terms than the average price of the previous year. The export price of plywood continued to rise, reaching EUR 847 per cubic metre in April.
• In April, the export price for magazine paper was EUR 877 per tonne. This was 4% higher in real terms than the average price of the previous year, although it was below the peak price in November 2022, when a tonne of magazine paper cost EUR 1,001 in real terms. The export price of fine paper was EUR 1,205 and paperboard EUR 983 per tonne respectively, slightly higher than the average prices of the previous year.