For the most part, prices for spruce and pine sawlogs remain unchanged. In some cases, though, there have been surcharges of €2 to €3/m³. Ex-forest-road prices for cut-to-length spruce logs and B L2b full-length logs are increasingly reaching around €140/m³. Peak prices are still the same as in the first quarter, i.e. €145 and €148/m³ respectively in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. Spruce log wood for less than €130/m³ is only available in coastal areas.
For B/C L 2b pine logs, an increasing number of contracts stipulate prices of around €105/m³. Following recent price adjustments, very few new contracts involve prices of less than €100/m³. Even in the “low-price regions” of northern Germany, near the coast, negotiations are currently underway, with sellers trying to raise the price to €95/m³. The high price level for pine log wood is reflected in contracts with uniform prices for B/C/D-grade log wood without differentiation by diameter class. While prices were mostly around €98/m³ during the first quarter, €100/m³ ex forest road are now reported.
Existing contracts and back orders
Two other factors also contribute to the continued rise in average prices. Firstly, there are hardly any existing contracts from the second half of 2025 anymore. Back orders that were piling up at some state forestry companies due to the shortage of beetle-damaged wood in 2025 are also no longer an issue. The agreements usually stipulated replacement deliveries of pine log wood, mostly below market price.
Diameter class surcharges for larch and Douglas fir
Douglas fir and larch logs in diameters classes L2b and L3a usually cost between €150 and €160/m³ ex-forest road. It is noteworthy that more and more forestry companies have been able to include surcharges for diameter classes above L2b. Surcharges for L3a to L5 are usually €5/m³ each and are thus a little lower than the target of around €8/m³. Nevertheless, this is considered a start by many. This is all the more true if Douglas fir is used more frequently as construction timber in the coming years and not just as planed timber for decking and façades.
In light of the shortage of spruce wood in the northern half of Germany, many sawmills have started processing species they rejected in the past, for example grand fir. Forestry companies are selling grand fir logs at prices comparable to those of pine.
Most sawmills report a sufficient log supply. However, this is not so much due to the availability of log wood. In fact, deliveries to mills have decreased again after the peak in March. Supply is mostly sufficient because sawmills have reduced cutting. As a result, the volumes of log wood provided by forest owners and forestry companies are enough.
Pallet wood prices exceed €50/st
Driven by the higher prices of industrial softwood logs, pallet wood has also become more expensive at the turn of the quarter, especially in the northwest of Germany. Prices there reach peaks of just under €60/st ex forest road. In March, prices reportedly reached €50/st in eastern Germany and €55/st in Hesse.
Further contracts valid until June 30 stipulate prices of just under €50/st.
Imports from Scandinavia
In terms of prices, softwood log imports from Scandinavia are only an attractive option for a few sawmills located near the coast. The same applies to companies that can load logs onto block trains at the port as return cargo. When logs need to be transported by truck over longer distances, imports are not very attractive, given the current diesel prices. For spruce logs, Scandinavian traders report prices of €120 to €125/m³ cfr North Sea or Baltic Sea ports. For pine wood, the price is around €105/m³. When comparing these prices with those of domestic softwood logs, unloading costs of €4 to €10/m³ must be taken into account – as well as an additional €1 to €5/m³ due to sharply increased bunker prices. On April 7, bunker prices (MGO and LSMGO Rotterdam) reached a new peak of US-$1,500/t, having soared from just under US-$1,400/t on March 23. Before the Iran conflict, the price fluctuated between US-$600 and US-$740/t.
Nevertheless, deliveries from Norway and, in the future, from areas in Sweden hit by recent storms are still an interesting option, as the large volumes per ship result in low transaction costs. A key argument is securing log supply.
