Last week’s untreated timber auctions at the Ukrainian Energy Exchange showed the following results:
- the exhibited volume amounted to 38,8 thousand cubic meters;
- 17,07 th. c. m. of wood were sold;
- the cost of timber sales amounted to UAH 45,26 million (including VAT);
- forestry enterprises received additional income during the English auction in the amount of UAH 3,99 million (including VAT).
Untreated timber was sold by forestry enterprises from 6 regions of Ukraine. The largest volume was sold in Kyiv region.
Distribution of untreated timber sales was as follows: 62% - firewood, 38% - round timber.
Round timber
During the reporting period, 6,54 thousand cubic meters of round timber for a total amount of UAH 27,96 million (including VAT) were sold.
Pine, oak and spruce were the most popular species sold, with their share in the total structure amounting to 39,97%, 16,93% and 16,33%, respectively. We also sold such species as fir, spruce, alder, birch and aspen.
Fire wood
During the reporting period, the volume of firewood sales amounted to 10,53 thousand cubic meters for the amount of UAH 17,29 million (including VAT).
The vast majority of firewood (56%) was sold for industrial use, while 44% was sold for non-industrial use.
Hardwood firewood was in the highest demand, accounting for 48% of total sales.
The graph below shows the structure of firewood sales by grade and species.
Price indices
Among the price indices for round timber, birch showed the highest growth, reaching a price of UAH 6227,67 per cubic meter including VAT.
In turn, the maximum decline was observed for oak. The weighted average price index amounted to UAH 16980,86 per cubic meter including VAT.
Weighted average price index for round timber, April 7-11, 2025
| Species | UAH/cubic meter (including VAT) |
|---|---|
| Silver birch | 6 227,67 |
| Forest beech | 3 342,82 |
| Black alder | 5 475,31 |
| Common oak | 16 980,86 |
| Scots pine | 4 344,92 |
| European spruce | 3 299,59 |
| White fir | 2 960,81 |
| Common ash | 5 608,54 |
Price indices for firewood have risen over the past week.
Among all types of firewood, the cost of firewood of non-industrial use of the second group has increased the most, which now amounts to 1,460,30 UAH/cubic meter with VAT.
Overview of news on the timber market in Europe
European timber mills see strong demand in Japan, exports up 29%
In 2024, the European Union significantly increased its softwood lumber exports to Japan, both in terms of volume and value. According to Eurostat, EU countries shipped a total of 2,28 million cubic meters of softwood lumber to Japan for the entire year, up 29% from 1,77 million cubic meters in 2023. The value of these exports increased by 31% from EUR 513,4 million to EUR 672,2 million.
Sweden and Finland continued to lead EU exports to Japan. Swedish volumes increased by 26% to 803512 m³, and the value of exports rose by 32% to EUR 235,9 million. Finnish exports also grew steadily, increasing by 21% in volume to 748,400 m³ and by 27% in value to EUR 197,7 million.
Finland: timber prices expected to rise in 2025-2026
The demand for timber in the Finland forest industry will increase this year and next year, which will keep demand for domestic timber high. As a result, both harvesting volumes and timber prices in Finland will increase. However, development of prices for balance wood will stabilize in the new market balance. According to the forestry sector forecast made by the Finland company Pellervo Economic Research PTT, the gross profit from the use of private forests on stumpage will increase to new records, exceeding three billion EUR.
This year, capacity changes and production running without prolonged equipment breakdowns will increase the pulp industry’s demand for wood, while wood use in the forestry industry will grow by about two percent. Next year, wood use will increase by about four percent as production increases in both the woodworking and pulp industries. Wood imports have increased, especially from Latvia, but this is unlikely to be enough to cover demand.
Swedish forest industry faces weakest domestic demand since 1990s
The Swedish forest industry is under considerable pressure due to a combination of high costs, weak domestic demand and uncertainty in global trade. According to the latest market report published by the Swedish Federation of Forest Industries (Skogsindustrierna), the beginning of 2025 was more difficult than previously expected.
The supply of wood products to the Swedish construction sector has fallen to levels not seen since the crisis of the 1990s. Despite initial hopes for a recovery during the spring construction season, domestic demand remains low and rising costs continue to negatively impact profitability across the value chain, from sawmills to pulp and paper producers.
Dark clouds await Poland’s forest industry: debts grow due to export restrictions and rising costs
According to a report by BIG InfoMonitor, at the end of January, the debts of furniture manufacturers in Poland amounted to PLN 336 million (approximately EUR 70,56 million), an increase of 23 percent compared to the previous year. The woodworking industry is undergoing significant changes aimed at preserving Poland’s forest resources, while Polish companies exporting wood are losing key markets, the report adds. In particular, the government has imposed restrictions on timber exports outside the EU, in particular to China, which was the third largest recipient of this raw material from Poland.
The furniture industry is a key component of the Polish economy, employing more than 136,000 people and making a significant contribution to the GDP. Poland is one of the leading EU countries in furniture exports, with a market share of 19 percent, making it the largest furniture exporter in the region. However, the industry is facing increasing financial difficulties. According to the BIG InfoMonitor debtor register and the BIK credit information database, the forest industry’s unpaid liabilities have decreased by almost 20 percent over the past two years and amounted to PLN 91,6 million (about EUR 19,24 million) at the end of January 2025. This amount was distributed among just over 1000 companies.