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– Prices for eastern Siberian larch lumber in August are largely stable at the level that applied prior to the start of holidays. Prices of over €410/m³ for KD products have meanwhile largely disappeared from the market, however. According to market players, demand for kiln-dried medium-length 50x150 mm larch still exceeds the supply. Demand for 32x150 mm larch, used for manufacturing decking, has fallen as usual for the time of year. Acquiring medium lengths of this particular specification is difficult as well, however. No such problems exist for the less popular dimensions. 4m and 6m lumber is generally available in adequate volumes. There is even word of an inflated supply of 4 m lumber in particular in some cases.
Representatives of industrial planing works are working from the assumption that their lumber requirement is going to remain largely stable until the end of September. In the weeks ahead, businesses will generally be able utilise their production capacity to the full as they have adequate stocks to work with. A usual seasonal decline in demand for planed products and a correspondingly low requirement of rough products is expected in the fourth quarter. At present, however, it is too early to say if there will be a comparatively sharp slump in lumber sales as there was in October 2010.
Siberian sawmills will be stepping up their larch cutting in the coming weeks, resulting in an increase in the availability of kiln-dried lumber in particular whereas the supply of freshly cut larch will probably remain unchanged at the current level.
Demand for freshly cut larch has decreased in the past few weeks. Market players believe industrial buyers are currently processing less 4 and 6 m lumber in particular. The reduction is said to be attributable to the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to offload the lumber prices on to customers. Problems encountered in the quality of the supplied lumber are being quoted as well in some instances. Board manufacturers’ demand for fresh 5.1 m larch is said to be satisfactory as usual.
Slackening demand is currently coinciding with an adequate supply, though here, too, supply is said to be inflated in some places. Comparatively large volumes of fresh larch have arrived in the North Sea and Baltic Sea ports in the last few weeks. This influx is not so much attributable to an increase in cutting in eastern Siberia but more to sawmills having run down evidently inflated stocks in order to make room for newly produced lumber. Many companies had held back with sales to Europe in the winter months as they considered selling prices in the region to be unsatisfactory. As the level of prices was simultaneously too low in East Asia as well, however, many sawmills put finished lumber into stock. Trains were also unable to be offloaded on to break-bulk ships in the port of St. Petersburg last winter due to ice problems and there was also a shortage of railway wagons in Russia at times.
As sales opportunities are likely to deteriorate in the fourth quarter, lumber prices will probably fall slightly too. Nevertheless, prices are not expected to come under greater pressure. Rough-sawn KD larch (I-IV) is currently fetching €390-400/m³ FOM Baltic Sea port. Popular dimensions are being quoted at up to €405/m³. Prices for freshly cut larch span a comparatively wide range of €310-330/m³ FOM. Up to €340/m³ FOM must be paid as well in some instances.
31.08.2011
Roundwood/Sawnwood
- Prices for eastern Siberian larch lumber remain largely stable in August despite holiday season
- 10 % reduction registered in Russian lumber exports
- Felling in Russia in July 2011 lower than in June
- Northwest Russian spruce lumber continues to lose market shares within Central Europe
- Latvian roundwood exports increased by as much as 26.1%
- Felling practically no longer hampered by forest fires
- Finland: Growth recorded in softwood lumber output until June
- United Business Media takes over Ecobuild
- Finland: Log deliveries still below last year‘s level
- Softwood lumber shipments down in North America in the second quarter
- Further growth in softwood lumber output until March
- Brisk demand for logs keeping price situation largely stable in Austria
- Hardwood lumber markets in UNECE revived slightly in 2010
- Lumber exports recovered in second quarter 2011
- Structural panels production declined again in Q2
Wood products
Wood-based panels
- Latvian plywood exports still higher than this time in 2010
- Demand for radiata pine plywood bounces back slightly after summer holidays end
- FFIF: Finnish plywood output grew again
- North American OSB manufacturers enjoy significant increase in exports
- North American composite panels producers‘ capacity utilisation rates stay low
- Slowdown in deliveries continued in second quarter
- GreCon wood-based panels seminar in Hanover
- Demand for MDF/HDF has undergone slight post-holiday revival since mid-August
- IHD Dresden holding ninth wood-based panels colloquium
- Summer reductions push OSB prices below last year‘s level again
- Slump in German particleboard exports persists
Furniture
- Demand for bathroom furniture remained brisk in July/August
- Fittings manufacturers anticipate possible renewed downturn in export markets
- VdDK members‘ order value up 5% in first half-year 2011
- Kitchen furniture industry sales 6% up on last year until June
Building products
Construction
- Housing construction again shows satisfactory trend
- Japan: Residential building increases by 5.8 % in June
Trade
Companies
- Lammhults: Office furniture segment improves turnover
- Slovenian furniture producer Javor Pohištvo bankrupt
- Javor Group: Another subsidiary files for bankruptcy
- Alno granted initial loan of €3m by Müller‘s Comco
- Forte enjoys strong growth in Q1 revenues and profits
- Eggerath: Business operations continue with work force of 60
- Kinnarps Deutschland bundles production in Worms
- Looser: Results forecast for 2011 corrected downwards
- Klostermann Küchen still up and running for time being
- Lowe’s: Turnover and result stabilising again
- Home Depot recovers again in the second quarter
- BlueLinx: Downward trend continues in Q2
- Temple-Inland: Timber business continues to operate at a loss
- IP: Take-over offer now extended until September
- Metsäliitto: Paper activities impose a strain on result
- Start-up in Braviken imposes strain on Holmen result
- Kurekss new sawing line starts up in fourth quarter
- Södra: Fire causes stop in production at Mönsterås
- Lafarge divests itself of gypsum operations in Asia
- Delignit: Results back in the black in first half of 2011
- Rougier books slowdown in revenue growth
- Pfleiderer Grajewo improves result again
- Gascogne records increased turnover in the first half year
- Uzin Utz shows further growth in turnover and result
- Roseburg to close two plants in South Carolina
- Resopal improves turnover by 17% in first six months
- Raute back in the black in the second quarter