France's lumber market is beginning to show a pronounced split. Prices for construction softwoods moved sharply higher in the second quarter, while hardwood markets remained considerably weaker, leaving sawmills exposed to very different conditions depending on species and end market.

The strongest momentum is in spruce and fir. Structural beams, joists, rafters and battens all posted substantial quarterly gains, while some lower construction grades recorded double-digit increases. Grade 4 spruce/fir boards were the standout, rising 17.3% from the previous quarter and more than 37% from a year earlier. Scots pine followed the same direction, with structural and framing assortments advancing as much as 20% year-on-year.

The move comes despite a French construction market that is only gradually emerging from a prolonged downturn. Instead, tighter availability of softwood raw material across parts of Europe is helping support prices. French softwood sawmills are competing for logs in a market where spruce and fir supplies have become less abundant following years of heavy salvage harvesting in Germany and Central Europe. French standing softwood prices have consequently remained firm even as the broader timber market weakened.