New Zealand’s export log market is beginning to stabilise after three difficult years, with the downturn in 2026 proving milder than the corrections recorded in previous seasons.
The current price trough is estimated at around 5% below the trailing 12-month average. This compares with declines of about 8% in 2025, 10% in 2024 and 25% in 2023, when export returns fell sharply under pressure from weak Chinese demand, high freight costs and currency movements.
