Timber prices in Finland continued their downward trend in September, with standing sales prices for spruce and pine logs falling by 4%, and pulpwood prices experiencing a similar decline. Notably, birch log prices remained stable during this period.

The decline in timber prices is part of a larger trend, as the volume of timber trade has been approximately one-third lower since June compared to the previous year. However, a robust start to the year resulted in higher overall timber trade volume for January-September than in preceding years.

According to data from Luke (Natural Resources Institute Finland), the average price for spruce logs in standing sales for September was Euro 71.3 per m3, while pine logs averaged Euro 67.1 per m3. These figures represent a 4% decrease from August and a 5% drop from the average prices for the entire previous year, adjusted for inflation.

Birch log prices stood at Euro 59.1 per m3, remaining unchanged from August but showing a notable 15% increase compared to the average for the whole of the previous year.

The decline in standing sales prices extended to pulpwood, with a 4–5% decrease compared to the previous month. Despite this, the prices were still 15–23% higher than the average prices from the previous year. The average prices for spruce, birch, and pine pulpwood in September were Euro 26.6, Euro 25.4, and Euro 24.4 per m3, respectively.

In delivery sales, average pulpwood prices slightly decreased from August, ranging from Euro 45 to Euro 47 per cubic meter. Notably, these prices exceeded the average prices for the entire previous year by 18–20%.

Luke reports that in September, the volume of industrial roundwood purchased from private forests was 32% lower than the previous year and 28% below the average for the previous five years. However, the cumulative timber trade for January-September was 10% higher than the same period a year ago and 5% higher than the average for the previous five years. Specifically, log trade increased by 7%, and pulpwood trade increased by 2% compared to the previous five years.