world news - 04.08.2009
Wood trade in Finland continues at a record slow pace
The average quantity of wood
purchased from private forests in the month of June of the preceding
ten years has been around three million cubic metres, i.e. almost
tenfold the quantity purchased during June 2009. The standstill of wood
trade has continued during the entire first half of the year. 
In June the Finnish wood processing industry purchased only 0.36
million cubic metres of wood from Finnish private forests. The Finnish
Forest Research Institute Metla says that this quantity is less than
one fifth of the corresponding quantity in 2008. Wood purchases in the
first half of 2009 decreased by 69 % in comparison with the same period
last year. The reduced quantity was almost 80 % less than the long term
average.
Cumulative wood purchases in the period January-June 2009 amounted to
only 3.3 million cubic metres, i.e. a reduction of 69 % in comparison
with last year. This quantity constitutes a reduction of 78 % in
comparison with the long term average. The reduction of sold quantities
of pulpwood was greater than the reduction of sawn timber. The prices
in June were approximately the same as those in May.
The weak international demand for sawn timber has repercussions on the
domestic wood business. However, there seems to be a somewhat better
demand for stands which are suitable for summer felling because
sawmills suffer from a shortage of timber. Forest owners' 50 % tax
reduction for timber revenues from this year's wood sales has boosted
wood trade in 2009. Next year the tax reduction will be cut by half.
See also:
- — Forest owners make profits on energy wood
- — Timber body challenged on climate claims
- — German business secretary meets sawmilling group
- — Russian Timber Backlog at Finnish Border
- — Amazon deforestation at lowest level
