The volume of timber trade in August was higher than usual and exceeded the average for the previous five years by a fifth. Cumulative timber trade volumes for January-August were 7% higher than last year and almost a fifth higher than in the previous five years.

Wood prices remained high in August. In standing sales, the price was the same as in July, while the price level fell slightly in delivery sales.

Timber prices
-- In standing sales in August, the average price of spruce logs remained above EUR 82 and that of pine logs at EUR 79 per cubic metre. The average price level for the whole of last year was exceeded by more than 10% in real terms. The price of birch logs remained at EUR 67.

-- Standing sales prices for pulpwood also remained high at their July levels. The average price for spruce pulpwood remained above EUR 34, while birch and pine were around EUR 33. Prices were 25-28% higher than the average for the whole of last year.

-- In delivery sales of pulpwood, prices remained exceptionally high. The average price paid for spruce pulpwood was EUR 52 per cubic metre, birch EUR 51 and pine EUR 50. Average prices fell by between one to two percent from July, ending 9-12% above last year's level.

Trade volumes
-- Timber trade continued in August with higher than usual volumes. Last year's figures were exceeded by a quarter and the average for the previous five years by a fifth.
-- The cumulative volume of timber trade in January-August was 7% higher than last year. The average purchase volumes of the previous five years were exceeded by 18%, the trade in logs by 21% and in pulpwood by 11%.

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 August 2024, the annual increase in consumer prices was around one 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.

Source: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)