Volumes and prices in roundwood trade, 3/2024

In standing sales, prices for industrial roundwood continued to rise in March. Average prices for logs rose by a few percent (changes +1-3%) and pulpwood prices by much more (+4-6%) from February, varying by species.

The volume of timber sold in the first quarter was well down on the previous year (-8%) but above the average for the previous five years (+3%).

Timber prices

• In standing sales in March, the real prices of coniferous logs rose by almost three per cent from February. The average price paid for spruce logs was EUR 75.1 per cubic metre and the average price for pine logs was EUR 72.1. Prices were slightly below the average real prices for the whole of last year.
• The average price of birch logs was EUR 62.0. This was one per cent higher than a month earlier.
• In standing sales of pulpwood, the average price was EUR 30.1 for spruce, EUR 28.4 for birch and EUR 28.1 for pine. Prices rose by 4-6% from February and ended up 8-11% above last year's average prices.
• In delivery sales, the price of pulpwood rose by 3-5% from February. The average price of spruce exceeded EUR 49, while prices for other species were only slightly below that.

Average timber prices and their real changes, March 2024

Trade volumes

• In March, a quarter less industrial roundwood was purchased from private forests than a year earlier. The volume was four percent below the average for the previous five years.
• In January-March, the total trade volume was eight per cent lower than a year earlier. The average purchase volumes for the previous five years were exceeded by three percent, with log trade up six percent and pulpwood trade down one percent.

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 March 2024, the annual increase in consumer prices was around two 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.