Volumes and prices in roundwood trade 2018

In 2018, EUR 60.5 per cubic metre was paid for pine logs, while the price of spruce logs was EUR 64.3 per cubic metre in standing sales. The stumpage price for spruce pulpwood was EUR 17.6 and for spruce pulpwood EUR 19.6 per cubic metre. The real stumpage prices of roundwood rose by six per cent from the previous year (deflation: wholesale price index).

The price of logs originating from regeneration fellings was three per cent higher that the average stumpage price of logs. For pulpwood, the difference compared with the average stumpage price was 12 per cent. In thinnings, the stumpage price of logs and pulpwood was below the average stumpage price (–16% and –8%).

Along with the stumpage prices, the roadside prices of roundwood also rose in 2018. The real roadside price level showed an increase of two per cent. In delivery sales, the average price paid per cubic metre was EUR 30.1 for pine pulpwood, EUR 32.6 for spruce pulpwood and EUR 30.8 for birch pulpwood. Delivery sales are dominated by pulpwood.

The prices of roundwood recorded in statistics are based on stumpage and roadside prices entered in wood trade agreements. Any other additional pricing components, forest services and conditional instalments related to wood trade are not included in the statistics for roundwood prices.

The wood trade was very active in 2018, as the roundwood trade from non-industrial private forests went up to 51.5 million cubic metres. This was an increase of 20 per cent to the year before. Of the different types of wood, spruce logs (13.4 million m3) and pine pulpwood (14.0 million m3) were traded the most.

The data for roundwood trade statistics is provided by the largest buyers of wood and forest management associations. Therefore, the published wood volumes represent just over 90 per cent of the wood purchased by forest industries from non-industrial private forests. The expansion of the data collection in 2016 caused a break in the homogeneity of the time series with regard to the wood trade volumes, which is why the wood trade volumes previously recorded in statistics are not comparable with the current figures.