The Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) fell by 1.4% from the 1Q 2018 to the 2Q 2018, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. This was the first quarter-over-quarter decline since the 4Q 2016 . Sawlog prices fell on all continents (in US dollar terms) except for North America, where prices in the 2Q 2018 were 3.0% higher than the previous quarter and up 13.5% from the 2Q 2017 . Most of the price increases in North America over the past year have occurred in Western US and Western Canada, while log prices in Eastern Canada and the US South have stayed quite stable during the same time period. However, Prices are likely to continue downward from their high levels seen the second half of 2018 because of the weakening demand for softwood lumber in the US.
Between 1Q and 2Q 2018, the biggest price declines for sawlogs in dollar terms occurred in Russia, Brazil and Eastern Europe. In the Baltic States, sawlog prices fell about 3% quarter-over-quarter in the 2Q 2018 after having increased by more than 20% over the past two years. In 2Q 2018, Russia saw softwood sawlog prices return to levels last seen a year ago.
