The prices of coniferous logs in some European countries have bottomed out

By September, some European countries had experienced price pressure caused by oversupply in the cork market. The cork markets in countries such as Germany, Russia, and Estonia have shown significant declines.

Affected by the poor performance of the European construction industry and the lowest level of wooden furniture consumption in Europe since 2015, consumer confidence and spending have sharply declined. This also poses greater challenges to the European cork market.
Taking Estonia as an example, in September, the price of pine logs decreased from 38.2 euros per cubic meter, with a year-on-year decrease of even -31.1%, and the price has already reached the bottom. And this decline continues, even compared to last month, pine logs are still declining by -1.2%, pine pulp by 0.7%, and spruce logs by 1%.

Due to ongoing trade disputes between major timber exporting countries (such as Russia and the European Union), the imposition of tariffs and trade barriers has disrupted the supply chain and affected the prices of timber products. Therefore, exporters from EU countries are continuously facing challenges in finding new markets and maintaining profitability.

In addition to external challenges, the increase in labor costs, energy prices, and transportation costs in the EU has put additional pressure on the profitability of the industry. In addition, the decline in prices makes it difficult for timber companies to maintain their operations.