Over the last month, auctions on the Ukrainian Energy Exchange for untreated timber showed the following results:
- the exhibited volume was 56.35 thousand m³;
- 40.28 thousand m³ of wood was sold;
- the cost of selling wood was 149.91 million UAH (including VAT);
- forestry agencies received additional income during the English auction in the amount of 17.36 million UAH (including VAT).
The distribution of untreated timber sales was as follows: 66% – round timber, 34% – firewood.
The sale of untreated timber last month took place in Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia and other regions.
Round timber
During the reporting period, 26.65 thousand m³ of round timber were sold for a total amount of UAH 123.25 million (including VAT).
The most sold species were pine, oak and spruce, where their share in the overall structure was 59.82%, 17.23% and 8.84% respectively. There was also the sale of such species as fir, larch, alder, red oak, ash, and others.
The average increase from the starting price at English auctions was 6%. Given that the auction step is 1%, the highest average was for ash – 42, birch – 37, alder – 34.
Firewood
During the reporting period, the volume of sales of firewood amounted to 13.63 thousand m³ for the amount of 26.66 million UAH (including VAT).
The vast majority of firewood (89%) was sold for industrial use, while 11% was sold for non-industrial use.
Among firewood, spruce and pine were in the greatest demand, accounting for 42% and 20% of the total volume, respectively.
The graph below shows the structure of firewood sales by assortment and species.
Price indices
In July, the weighted average prices for most round timber decreased compared to June. The exception was birch, the price of which increased to UAH 5,579.28/m³ (including VAT) against the backdrop of active competition among buyers, despite unchanged starting levels.
Instead, spruce showed the deepest drop — by 20.8%, to 3,403.54 UAH/m³, which was a result of a decrease in demand after the end of quarterly trading.
Weighted average timber price index, for July 2025
| Species | UAH/cubic m (including VAT) |
|---|---|
| Swamp birch | 5,579.28 |
| Forest beech | 4,384.02 |
| Black alder | 6,029.90 |
| Common oak | 22,156.81 |
| Stone pine | 3,712.51 |
| European spruce | 3,403.54 |
| White fir | 4,224.98 |
| Common ash | 6 759.65 |
Among firewood, the raw material for industrial use has risen the most in price - its price has increased by 8% and is currently 2,049.64 UAH/m³ (including VAT).
At the same time, the largest price decrease was experienced by firewood for non-industrial use of the second group. It currently stands at 1,075.64 UAH/m³ (including VAT). The reason for this decrease was the decrease in demand for this type of product.
Weighted average price index for firewood, for July 2025
| Assortment | UAH/cubic m (including VAT) |
|---|---|
| Industrial usage | 2 049,64 |
| Non-Industrial usage 1-st group | 1 393,20 |
| Non-Industrial usage 2-nd group | 1 075,64 |
| Non-Industrial usage 3-rd group | 996,14 |
Overview of the wood market in Europe
Softwood timber exports from Latvia increased by 22% in the first half of 2025 due to high demand in the UK and the EU
In the first half of 2025, exports of softwood lumber from Latvia increased significantly against the backdrop of high demand in key external markets. Total supplies increased by 22% in physical terms and by 53% in monetary terms, indicating an increase in the average price. The EU remained the main export destination, with shipments to the region growing by 19% in volume and 60% in value. Significant growth was also recorded in the UK (60% and 78% respectively) and the US (90% and 70%), indicating Latvia’s successful consolidation of its position on these markets. In contrast, shipments to China and Tunisia have declined sharply, while smaller markets such as Morocco and Norway have seen triple-digit growth, indicating a broad geographic diversification of demand.
Export of softwood lumber from Latvia
(1st half of 2024 vs. 1st half of 2025)
| Destination | 2024 | 2025 | Shift 2025/2024, % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| м3 | EUR | м3 | євро | м3 | EUR | |
| European Union | 976 316 | 211 337 693 | 1 159 100 | 337 505 918 | 19% | 60% |
| Great Britain | 364 753 | 103 543 773 | 582 912 | 184 359 354 | 60% | 78% |
| Estonia | 99 592 | 21 247 394 | 126 637 | 29 680 180 | 27% | 40% |
| Lithuania | 71 287 | 15 709 626 | 97 443 | 24 086 446 | 37% | 53% |
| Netherlands | 59 829 | 13 754 319 | 78 352 | 19 315 171 | 31% | 40% |
| France | 42 687 | 13 128 134 | 66 893 | 23 383 488 | 57% | 78% |
| Others | 338 168 | 43 954 447 | 206 863 | 56 681 280 | -39% | 29% |
| OTHER European countries | 14 893 | 6 913 139 | 25 202 | 12 757 783 | 69% | 85% |
| Norway | 3 524 | 3 582 120 | 7 488 | 7 401 839 | 112% | 107% |
| Faroe Islands | 2 250 | 450 057 | 6 842 | 1 636 818 | 204% | 264% |
| Iceland | 5 420 | 1 796 798 | 5 638 | 2 026 692 | 4% | 13% |
| NORTH Africa | 76 625 | 12 725 367 | 87 891 | 14 893 301 | 15% | 17% |
| Egypt | 69 372 | 11 387 111 | 75 993 | 12 444 856 | 10% | 9% |
| Morocco | 4 320 | 814 996 | 9 647 | 1 960 511 | 123% | 141% |
| North America | 75 043 | 24 827 056 | 142 633 | 42 195 759 | 90% | 70% |
| USA | 75 043 | 24 827 056 | 142 633 | 42 195 759 | 90% | 70% |
| MIDDLE and NEAR EAST | 14 136 | 2 602 231 | 21 029 | 4 462 592 | 49% | 71% |
| Israel | 10 531 | 1 960 573 | 14 257 | 3 039 670 | 35% | 55% |
| Saudi Arabia | 1 876 | 324 847 | 2 527 | 567 055 | 35% | 75% |
| OTHER Asian countries | 126 487 | 34 421 009 | 118 387 | 32 684 465 | -6% | -5% |
| South Korea | 50 888 | 13 188 669 | 47 452 | 13 069 616 | -7% | -1% |
| Japan | 38 215 | 11 815 129 | 39 480 | 12 285 722 | 3% | 4% |
| India | 10 164 | 2 711 295 | 14 269 | 3 680 964 | 40% | 36% |
| China | 15 542 | 4 078 815 | 6 587 | 1 294 638 | -58% | -68% |
Softwood lumber exports from Germany fell sharply in the first half of 2025
In the first half of 2025, Germany exported 3.47 million m³ of softwood lumber — 12% less than in the same period last year, although the value of exports increased by 2%, to 953 million euros. Despite the overall decline in volumes, exports to North America increased significantly, up 27% in volume and 47% in value, mainly due to deliveries to the US. EU markets, on the other hand, showed a significant decline, down 26% in volume and 14% in value, with sharp declines in countries such as Austria, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Outside the EU, exports to the UK grew by 37% in volume and 59% in value, with Switzerland the main driver of growth in Europe outside the union. Morocco also showed positive dynamics, while China, Algeria and the UAE recorded sharp declines in imports. Overall, the export structure indicates growing demand for German wood in the Western world and a simultaneous decline in interest from Asian and North African markets.
Export of softwood lumber from Germany
(1st half of 2024 vs. 1st half of 2025)
| Destination | 2024 | 2025 | Shift 2025/2024, % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| м3 | EUR | м3 | євро | м3 | EUR | |
| European Union | 2 008 073 | 465 076 779 | 1 488 716 | 398 899 912 | -26% | -14% |
| Netherlands | 302 519 | 71 192 993 | 235 069 | 62 738 326 | -22% | -12% |
| France | 310 618 | 83 036 908 | 229 184 | 66 035 159 | -26% | -20% |
| Austria | 351 966 | 88 474 532 | 227 331 | 63 424 101 | -35% | -28% |
| Great Britain | 158 612 | 42 633 727 | 217 236 | 67 652 833 | 37% | 59% |
| Italy | 242 809 | 48 702 961 | 173 083 | 39 421 192 | -29% | -19% |
| Others (EU) | 641 549 | 131 035 658 | 406 813 | 99 628 301 | -37% | -24% |
| Other European countries | 50 431 | 17 610 649 | 55 703 | 22 234 791 | 10% | 26% |
| Switzerland | 36 499 | 13 858 217 | 47 855 | 19 678 384 | 31% | 42% |
| Turkey | 9 104 | 2 126 393 | 4 717 | 1 347 055 | -48% | -37% |
| Croatia | 3 567 | 1 158 133 | 1 735 | 618 833 | -51% | -47% |
| North Africa | 64 813 | 14 287 971 | 52 116 | 12 796 536 | -20% | -10% |
| Morocco | 16 263 | 3 858 893 | 25 998 | 6 916 039 | 60% | 79% |
| Algeria | 33 976 | 7 717 321 | 19 882 | 4 791 850 | -41% | -38% |
| Egypt | 10 894 | 1 730 852 | 6 128 | 1 056 549 | -44% | -39% |
| North America | 995 725 | 253 091 469 | 1 268 145 | 372 417 655 | 27% | 47% |
| USA | 925 565 | 233 434 512 | 1 186 873 | 346 404 192 | 28% | 48% |
| Canada | 70 156 | 19 655 977 | 81 272 | 26 013 463 | 16% | 32% |
| Near and Middle East | 112 734 | 26 567 119 | 97 058 | 23 508 024 | -14% | -12% |
| Saudi Arabia | 33 448 | 8 230 831 | 48 081 | 12 536 841 | 44% | 52% |
| United Arab Emirates | 46 021 | 10 553 930 | 26 747 | 6 090 278 | -42% | -42% |
| Other Asian countries | 623 897 | 134 136 226 | 472 943 | 112 415 276 | -24% | -16% |
| China | 191 636 | - | 59 092 | - | -69% | - |
| Oceania and the Polar Region | 44 282 | 14 456 010 | 12 672 | 4 140 455 | -71% | -71% |
| Australia | 43 842 | 14 248 173 | 12 358 | 4 002 240 | -72% | -72% |
| In total | 3 924 687 | 931 418 753 | 3 470 050 | 952 990 276 | -12% | 2% |
Timber prices in Norway fall from record highs as market weakens
After a long period of price increases, the Norwegian timber market is gradually weakening, creating less favorable conditions for forest owners. According to AT Skog, the average timber price in the first half of 2025 was 850 NOK/m³ (≈71.6 euros), which is 400 NOK more than in 2021. Despite the increase in harvesting volumes (+9.2% overall and +12.2% through AT Skog), the sector is facing the consequences of a prolonged decline in construction activity in Europe against a backdrop of high interest rates and low confidence. Sawmills are reducing production and some are temporarily suspending deliveries. The surplus of pine against the background of sufficient spruce supply is leading to a fall in prices for pine wood in particular. Spruce prices are more stable, although losses from beetle damage are increasing. The pulp market is also weakening: the accumulation of chips and products has forced large enterprises to reduce production.
France: Log prices hit record highs, but lumber lags behind
The Douglas fir market in France is at its peak in the summer of 2025, with log prices reaching or even exceeding the records of 2021–2022. At auctions, the price of timber reached €120–137/m³, almost double the price at the end of 2022. Demand for large timber remains high, especially in the frame construction and landscaping segments, while small-scale items for industrial use are more difficult to sell. At the same time, prices for Douglas fir lumber are not keeping up with the rising cost of raw materials, which creates a "scissors effect" and puts pressure on the sawmill sector. Experts consider this imbalance a risk for the market, but recognize the prospects of Douglas fir in conditions of spruce shortage. Further price dynamics will depend on demand and the results of new auctions in the fall, while the general economic and geopolitical situation does not contribute to consumer confidence.