Volumes and prices in roundwood trade, 4/2024

In standing sales, prices for industrial roundwood continued to rise in April. Average prices for spruce and pine logs were slightly lower than last summer's highs, while prices for other species rose to or above last year's peak prices. The real price of pine pulpwood was the highest in the monthly statistics started in 1995.

The volume of timber sales at the beginning of the year was 10% down on a year ago, but 4% above the average for the previous five years. 

Timber prices

• In standing sales in April, the average price paid for spruce logs was EUR 77.9 per cubic metre. This was 4% more than in March. The price of pine logs rose by 3% to EUR 74.1. These prices exceeded the average prices for the whole of last year by 4% in real terms.
• The average price of birch logs continued to rise and exceeded EUR 64. Such high prices were last recorded in 2008.
• In standing sales of pulpwood, the average price of spruce exceeded EUR 31, while birch and pine was paid around EUR 29 per cubic metre. Prices rose by 3-4% from March and ended up 12-14% above last year's average prices. Since the monthly price statistics began in 1995, never before has such a high real price for pine pulpwood been recorded. 
• In delivery sales, pulpwood prices fell slightly compared to March. The average price for spruce and birch was almost EUR 49, and for pine just over EUR 47 per cubic metre. 

Average timber prices and their real changes, April 2024

Trade volumes

• In April, 15% less industrial roundwood was purchased than a year earlier. However, it was 8% more than the average for the previous five years.
• In January-April, the total trade volume was 10% lower than a year earlier. The average purchase volumes for the previous five years were exceeded by 4%, with log trade up 7% and trade in pulpwood remaining at the same level. 

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 April 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.