For the last week the following results were showed on untreated timber auctions at UEEX:
- Exhibited volume was 18,43 th. c. m;
- Sold timber 6,85 th. c. m;
- Untreated timber sales was UAH 29,17 mln. (incl. VAT);
- State received additional income during the trades on English auction for the amount UAH 356,98 th. (incl. VAT).
Untreated timber sales was conducted by forestry’s from regions of Ukraine. Kyiv region sold the most.
Distribution of untreated timber sales was as follows: 67% – round timber, 33% – firewood.
Round timber
For the reporting period 4,57 th.c.m. of round timber for the total amount UAH 25,65 mln. (incl. VAT) were sold.
Most of all, oak, pine and linden were sold, with their share in the total structure amounting to 76,41%, 12,49% and 4,60%, respectively. We also sold such species as sharp-leaved maple, ash, birch, birch bark and others.
Firewood
During the reporting period, firewood sales amounted to 2,28 thousand cubic meters for UAH 3,52 million (including VAT).
The vast majority of firewood (89%) was sold for non-industrial use, while 11% was sold for industrial use.
Among firewood, birch and aspen firewood were in the highest demand, accounting for 46% and 13%, respectively.
The graph below shows the structure of firewood sales by grade and species.
Price index
Alder showed the largest upward trend among roundwood price indices. Currently, its price is UAH 5988,00 per cubic meter including VAT.
In turn, the maximum decline was observed for ash. The weighted average price index amounted to UAH 5211,20 per cubic meter including VAT, which is 19% less than last week.
Weighted average timber price index, for April 28 - May 02, 2025
| Species | UAH/c.m.(incl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Silver birch | 5 488,24 |
| Beech | 3 342,83 |
| Black alder | 5 988,00 |
| Common oak | 22 562,71 |
| Common pine | 3 821,59 |
| European spruce | 3 284,46 |
| White fir | 2 960,81 |
| Common ash | 5 211,20 |
The price index for non-industrial firewood of the second group increased the most, reaching UAH 1617,12 per cubic meter including VAT.
Among all types of firewood, the cost of firewood of the third group decreased the most, which now amounts to UAH 1138,78 per cubic meter including VAT, which is 33% less than the previous figure.
Overview of news on the timber market in Europe
European plywood imports recovered by 14% in 2024
The total volume of plywood imports to the EU and the UK from outside the region in 2024 amounted to 3,77 million cubic meters, which is 14% more than in the previous year, when imports were at their lowest level in 15 years. The value of imports increased by 8% to USD 1,82 billion last year.
Although the recovery was significant, the volume of imports in 2024 was still the second lowest in a decade and well below the average annual imports of 4,25 million cubic meters in the years immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth in 2024 was largely driven by a sharp increase in imports during the last quarter of the year, especially temperate hardwood plywood from China.
EU producers face consequences due to diversion of wood products from the US
For the European forest products sector, the direct impact of additional tariffs on bilateral trade with the US, while significant, may be less of a problem than the impact of the new US tariffs on global supply chains and the economy as a whole.
Total EU forest products exports to the United States, which averaged USD 9,37 billion annually between 2022 and 2024, accounted for 14% of the EU’s total annual forest products exports outside the region of USD 65 billion over this period.
A significant share of EU exports to the US includes value-added products such as wooden furniture, finished carpentry, engineered wood, and specialty paper products, which will be subject to a 20% US import duty if no agreement is reached between the US and EU by July. This will have a significant impact on the EU’s overall forest products exports, but will not be an overwhelming challenge for most producers, who are more focused on supplying the large domestic market.
Forest products are not yet affected in the US-EU tariff dispute
Following the US administration’s announcement of 25% tariffs on all US aluminum and steel imports, the EU launched consultations on possible retaliatory tariffs in March. A very wide range of US forest products were included in the initial list of products foreseen for retaliatory tariffs by the EU. Several EU trade and industry groups specializing in forest products provided their views during the EU consultations, asking that these products be removed from the list to prevent any imminent US-EU trade war from extending to the forest products sector.
On April 2, the US President issued an Executive Order imposing additional duties on all US imports from all trading partners, with some specific exceptions, starting April 9.
For the forest products sector, a notable exception is everything included in 4413, inclusive, of the HS, namely: biomass, wood chips, poles, logs, lumber, sleepers, moldings, veneers, plywood and compacted wood.
Austrian softwood market: overview of price trends in April 2025
Austrian sawmills are currently supplied with different numbers of spruce sawmills. Accordingly, the demand behavior is different. In the south, the stocks are partially full and the sawmills are therefore only able to accept partial logs. In the west, there is a slight decline in demand, while in the north, demand remains high. The contracted volumes are being exported quickly. Although some road closures are causing delays, there are no major stock-outs. Prices have stabilized. Larch is still in high demand, although some price peaks have been limited. Selling pine is proving difficult. Rapid removal of logs after felling is crucial to avoid loss of quality due to blue stain.
The hardwood sawing season is largely over. Looking back, the oak demand boom continued, but lower quality oak became more difficult to sell compared to previous years. Ash was also in strong demand.