Volumes and prices in roundwood trade, 12/2023

Average prices of almost all types of roundwood rose in December. Conifer log prices rose by around 1% compared to November, and pulpwood prices increased by between two and five percent, varying by trade and species.

Based on volumes, timber trade was slow in December. The total volume of roundwood trade was one-third lower than a year earlier and two-fifths below the average for the previous five years.

Timber prices

• The average price paid for spruce logs in standing sales in December was EUR 71.0 per cubic metre, and the average price for pine logs was EUR 67.5. These prices rose slightly from November and ended up around 5% below the average prices for the whole of the previous year in real terms.
• The average price of birch logs for the whole country was EUR 59.2. This was 2% lower than in November and 15% more than the average for 2022.
• In standing sales of pulpwood, the average price was EUR 27.1 for spruce, EUR 25.6 for birch and EUR 25.0 for pine. Pine rose by 5% in the monthly survey, spruce and birch by 3%. The average prices of the previous year were exceeded by 17–23%.
• In delivery sales, average prices of pulpwood rose slightly less, ending up at EUR 48.7 for spruce, EUR 47.4 for birch and EUR 46.0 for pine. The average prices for the whole of the previous year were exceeded by 20–23%.

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

Trade volumes

• In December, 34% less industrial roundwood was purchased from private forests than a year earlier. The volume was 38% below the average for the previous five years.
• In 2023, the volume of roundwood purchased was 2% lower than the previous year and 4% lower than the average for the previous five years, according to preliminary data. Compared to the previous five years, both the trade in logs and pulpwood decreased by 4%.

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 December 2023, the annual increase in consumer prices was around four 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.