The Global Forest Industry This Quarter

Excerpts from the 2Q 2011 issue of the Wood Resource Quarterly

The Global Conifer Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) reached a new all-time high in the 2Q and was almost 40% higher than two years ago.
Wood fiber costs for the global pulp industry have trended upward for over two years.
Global pulp markets continued to be surprisingly strong in the 2Q, setting record high prices for most market pulp grades.

Lumber exports from the Nordic countries slowed during spring, and prices fell slightly.

Lumber production in the US fell by 13 percent from March to April because of slowing domestic demand, and the average operating rate for US sawmills was down to 67%.

Lumber imports to China continue to set new records. During the first five months of 2011, the importation of softwood lumber was up 72% from the same period last year.
Prices for woody biomass, including mill residues and forest residues, increased slightly in all major biomass-consuming regions of the US.

Pellet prices in Europe were unchanged or slightly lower in the 2Q as compared to the 1Q, but the long-term trends are still upward with prices being close to record levels.

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