Germany: Exports of oak logs slightly up
Between January and June 2026, exports of oak raw wood increased slightly compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. China, the most important country of destination, decreased by 3% compared to the first half of 2025.

Germany: Exports of beech industrial wood significantly increased
In the first six months of 2026, Germany exported 67% more beech industrial wood (softwood < 15 cm) than in the corresponding period of the previous year. The remuneration of the main customer Austria increased by 20% compared to the first half of 2025.

Germany: Beech timber exports stable
In the first six months of 2026, almost as much beech sawn timber was exported as in the corresponding period of the previous year. By far the largest customer, China, swallowed around a quarter of the total exports with a minus of 9%.

Germany: Decline in Beech Log Exports
German exports of beech logs fell by 12% between January and June 2026 compared to the same period the previous year. With a 32% decline, China has lost its position as the leading customer to Austria.

Germany: Slight Improvement in Residential Construction Business
In August, the business climate index for the residential construction sector showed little improvement. Just under 40% of the companies surveyed rate current business conditions as poor, just under 50% consider them adequate, and less than 20% rate them as good.

Germany: Imports of Particleboard Decline
According to the Federal Statistical Office, imports of particleboard, including OSB, fell by 8% between January and June 2026 compared to the same period the previous year. This results in an import surplus of 9%.

US softwood lumber imports down by 17.5%
From January to July, the USA imported 16 million m?of softwood lumber. This corresponds to a year-on-year decrease of 3.4 million m3. Deliveries from Canada and Germany, in particular, decreased strongly.

Finland exported 4% less softwood lumber
From January to June, exports of softwood lumber and planed products declined by 209,000 m3 compared with the same period of the previous year. EU markets, by contrast, developed positively.

Italy: Slight increase in softwood lumber imports
From January to May, Italy imported just under 2 million m3 of softwood lumber, including planed products. This was 62,300 m? or 3.3% more than in the same period of the previous year.