Volumes and prices in roundwood trade, 11/2023

The fall in industrial roundwood prices came to a halt in November. In standing sales, average log prices rose by 1% from October, while pulpwood prices remained unchanged. In delivery sales, pulpwood prices rose slightly.

Since June, the total volume of roundwood trade has been about a third lower than in the previous year. However, due to a busy start to the year, the trade in January-November was one percent higher than a year earlier.

Timber prices

• The average price paid for spruce logs in standing sales in November was EUR 70.2 per cubic metre, and the average price for pine logs was EUR 66.3. These prices rose by 1% from October and ended up around 7% below the average prices for the whole of last year in real terms.
• The average price of birch logs for the whole country was EUR 60.1. It was 1% higher than in October and 17% more than the average for the whole of last year.
• In standing sales of pulpwood, the average price was EUR 26.2 for spruce, EUR 24.7 for birch and EUR 23.7 for pine. The price of birch fell by one per cent, while other pulpwood remained on level with the previous month. However, last year's average prices were exceeded by 13–20%.
• In delivery sales, average prices for pulpwood increased slightly, ending up at EUR 47.2 for spruce, EUR 46.3 for birch and EUR 45.1 for pine. Average prices for the whole of last year were exceeded by 18–19%.

Average timber prices and their real changes in private forests, November 2023

Trade volumes

• In November, the volume of industrial roundwood purchased from private forests was 27% lower than last year and 10% below the average for the previous five years.
• The trade in January-November was one per cent higher than a year ago and one per cent lower than the average for the previous five years. Compared to the previous five years, the trade in logs was the same and the trade in pulpwood was down by 1%.

Background information on the statistics

Unit prices in roundwood trade are recorded in the statistical database at the fair prices valid each time. However, price changes are examined in the texts and graphs in real terms by eliminating the change in value using the cost-of-living index. In November 2023, the annual increase in consumer prices was around three per cent.

The recorded prices are based on prices entered in wood trade agreements between the buyers and sellers. Any other increments and services related to wood trade are not included in the statistics.

Wood trade data for statistics are provided by the largest buyers of wood and forest management associations. As the information is not rounded up to correspond to the total non-industrial private wood trade in Finland, the published wood volumes only represent about 90 per cent of the wood purchased by forest industries from non-industrial private forests.