Logs
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Austria criticizes ”restrictive” EU forest regulations
For the mountainous country of Austria, the important protective forests – forests that protect against natural hazards such as avalanches, mudflows and rockfalls – are also among these special features. This needs to be actively maintained and kept "functional", explains the Austrian Forest Association. "We need supportive measures and no restrictive EU regulations for the care of our forests and the use of wood," says Ök.-Rat Rudolf Rosenstatter, chairman of the forest association, denouncing the misguided forest-related EU policy from the association's point of view. The Austrian Forest Association compares the trade balances for wood and fossil fuels. While one earns money with wood, coal, oil and gas have a negative foreign trade balance. Climate-friendly forest care suitable for grandchildren secure jobs and income for around 300,000 people. With a surplus of around... Continue reading
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January 11, 2023
Austria criticizes ”restrictive” EU forest regulations
For the mountainous country of Austria, the important protective forests – forests that protect against natural hazards such as avalanches, mudflows and rockfalls – are also among these special features. This needs to be actively maintained and kept "functional", explains the Austrian Forest Association. "We need supportive measures and no restrictive EU regulations for the care of our forests and the use of wood," says Ök.-Rat Rudolf Rosenstatter, chairman of the forest association, denouncing the misguided forest-related EU policy from the association's point of view. The Austrian Forest Association compares the trade balances for wood and fossil fuels. While one earns money with wood, coal, oil and gas have a negative foreign trade balance. Climate-friendly forest care suitable for grandchildren secure jobs and income for around 300,000 people. With a surplus of around... Continue reading
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December 1, 2022
China: Recovery signs of the softwood import market in Q1/2023
In China, the softwood import market remains weak but there are small hopes for Q1/2023. As of mid-November, daily usage is hovering around 70,000 cubic metres per day across the eastern seaboard for all softwoods, well off the pace of the normal 80- 90,000 we would typically see at this time of year. But a significant positive is the rate of consumption in a nation where COVID lockdowns in large cities remains the order of the day. Currently, New Zealand shows total dominance in the softwood trade. NZ Radiata pine is now in excess of 85% of all China supply with European spruce basically out of the game at current US$CFR levels (log prices landed China). Russia is of course out of the supply top, as is the Pacific North West, and supply out of Uruguay is on weak. This then leaves NZ in a pretty favourable position as and when the market recovers. The very suggestion that it will... Continue reading
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December 13, 2022
India: Weak log and sawn timber import market
Activity in Gandhidham is slow to recover after the Diwali holidays due to negative sentiment. Log importers and sawmills report fewer enquires from their customers for green sawn timber. The sale price for green sawn timber is now approximately 501-511 and 591-601 INR per CFT for timber from South America and Australian logs respectively. Exports from India fell to 29.78 b USD in October 2022 from 35.45 b in the previous month, the lowest since February 2021. In October last year, exports were 17% higher at 35.73 b USD. This has negatively affected the demand for sawn timber to make export packing pallets. There is an expectation North Indian demand might increase by March 2023 when the summer harvest starts and Indian exports increase. Log shipments from South America have reduced drastically, as unsold logs are still at bonded warehouses in Kandla and being sold at low prices. The... Continue reading
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December 1, 2022
China: Recovery signs of the softwood import market in Q1/2023
In China, the softwood import market remains weak but there are small hopes for Q1/2023. As of mid-November, daily usage is hovering around 70,000 cubic metres per day across the eastern seaboard for all softwoods, well off the pace of the normal 80- 90,000 we would typically see at this time of year. But a significant positive is the rate of consumption in a nation where COVID lockdowns in large cities remains the order of the day. Currently, New Zealand shows total dominance in the softwood trade. NZ Radiata pine is now in excess of 85% of all China supply with European spruce basically out of the game at current US$CFR levels (log prices landed China). Russia is of course out of the supply top, as is the Pacific North West, and supply out of Uruguay is on weak. This then leaves NZ in a pretty favourable position as and when the market recovers. The very suggestion that it will... Continue reading
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January 10, 2023
New Zealand’s export log prices fall due to the impact of exchange rates
In December 2022, the average export log (AWG) price across New Zealand ports has fallen by around NZ$2/JASm3. As the market price of exports to China has remained stable recently, the price of exported logs fell this time, mainly due to the strengthening of the exchange rate of the New Zealand dollar against the US dollar. The New Zealand dollar strengthened significantly in November, which affected New Zealand AWG log prices in December. NZD/USD remains volatile, but the underlying uptrend has stalled over the past few weeks. The PF Olsen Log Price Index fell slightly in December, down $1 from the previous month to $119, $4 below the two-year and five-year averages. At the end of 2022, many factories in New Zealand are on extended year-end holidays compared to past years. In previous years, most forest owners would arrange felling production during this period. This means New... Continue reading
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December 13, 2022
India: Weak log and sawn timber import market
Activity in Gandhidham is slow to recover after the Diwali holidays due to negative sentiment. Log importers and sawmills report fewer enquires from their customers for green sawn timber. The sale price for green sawn timber is now approximately 501-511 and 591-601 INR per CFT for timber from South America and Australian logs respectively. Exports from India fell to 29.78 b USD in October 2022 from 35.45 b in the previous month, the lowest since February 2021. In October last year, exports were 17% higher at 35.73 b USD. This has negatively affected the demand for sawn timber to make export packing pallets. There is an expectation North Indian demand might increase by March 2023 when the summer harvest starts and Indian exports increase. Log shipments from South America have reduced drastically, as unsold logs are still at bonded warehouses in Kandla and being sold at low prices. The... Continue reading
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July 3, 2022
China: Log and lumber stocks accumulating at ports
After the 2022 February Spring Festival both log and lumber stocks have been accumulating at ports but, due to slow demand, the inventory of the major wood market dealers has been running high. The ports are overstocked with logs and the stock of logs at Taicang Port have reached a record high of 1.7 million cubic meters, resulting in a sharp drop in both logs and lumber imports compared with last year. According to China Customs, log imports were 18.04 million cubic meters valued at US$3.641 billion, down 30% in volume and 14% in value from January to May 2022. China’s lumber imports fell 7% to 10.78 million cubic meters. In May alone, China’s log imports amounted to 4.23 million cubic meters valued at US$888 million, down 20% in volume and 14% in value. China’s lumber imports declined 11% to 2.26 million cubic meters. Because of heavy rain in the south and high temperature... Continue reading
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January 10, 2023
New Zealand’s export log prices fall due to the impact of exchange rates
In December 2022, the average export log (AWG) price across New Zealand ports has fallen by around NZ$2/JASm3. As the market price of exports to China has remained stable recently, the price of exported logs fell this time, mainly due to the strengthening of the exchange rate of the New Zealand dollar against the US dollar. The New Zealand dollar strengthened significantly in November, which affected New Zealand AWG log prices in December. NZD/USD remains volatile, but the underlying uptrend has stalled over the past few weeks. The PF Olsen Log Price Index fell slightly in December, down $1 from the previous month to $119, $4 below the two-year and five-year averages. At the end of 2022, many factories in New Zealand are on extended year-end holidays compared to past years. In previous years, most forest owners would arrange felling production during this period. This means New... Continue reading
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January 11, 2023
Austria criticizes ”restrictive” EU forest regulations
For the mountainous country of Austria, the important protective forests – forests that protect against natural hazards such as avalanches, mudflows and rockfalls – are also among these special features. This needs to be actively maintained and kept "functional", explains the Austrian Forest Association. "We need supportive measures and no restrictive EU regulations for the care of our forests and the use of wood," says Ök.-Rat Rudolf Rosenstatter, chairman of the forest association, denouncing the misguided forest-related EU policy from the association's point of view. The Austrian Forest Association compares the trade balances for wood and fossil fuels. While one earns money with wood, coal, oil and gas have a negative foreign trade balance. Climate-friendly forest care suitable for grandchildren secure jobs and income for around 300,000 people. With a surplus of around... Continue reading