The above-average price increases in Scandinavia and the shortage of log wood in Sweden are forcing Nordic companies to react. As a result, Swedish suppliers are marketing glulam lamellas at substantially higher prices in Germany in the second quarter. The Holzkurier identified a price range of €305 to €325/m³ for visible-quality lamellas produced in Central Europe. Following the increases, Nordic products are around €15/m³ higher in the lower price segment and €5/m³ higher in the upper segment.
First up, then down again
“Given these lamella prices, the result is a price of just under €600/m³ for glulam,” one glulam producer explained, anticipating possible further price increases for glue-laminated timber. For the month of April, the Holzkurier’s survey shows prices ranging from €555/m³ (Italy) to €580/m³ (Germany). A sharp price increase from an Austrian supplier caused some irritation at first, but was soon limited to €10/m³.
Roof slat prices keep rising
Prices for CE roof slats, in particular, continued their upward trend throughout the German-speaking region in April. Individual producers are already reporting deals involving prices of €400/m³ ex works, although the majority was still sold at prices that were €20 to €30/m³ lower than that. The Holzkurier’s survey shows a price range of €365 to €400/m³ in April and thus an average increase of another €20/m³ compared to March. Larger sawmills, in particular, were able to implement higher prices more quickly.
The upward trend will likely continue in the spring. For May, some suppliers announced that they want to charge “no less than €400”. The market currently appears to tolerate further price increases, not least because CE roof slats are increasingly being used for façades as well. It remains to be seen, though, whether all market participants can charge such prices.
Processing companies are currently purchasing large quantities of main grade products. This is a sign that sales in Europe are still seen as strong. The US market, on the other hand, is experiencing a setback: Persistent political uncertainty caused prices to rise to €405/m³ in March – a level that was last recorded around two and a half years ago. Then, in April, prices for European lumber fell by €10/m³ in the US, and this downward trend will likely continue.
While prices for main grades have increased by around €25/m³ since the start of this year, sideboard prices have been rising at a significantly lower rate. The German packaging wood industry recently reported a noticeable decrease in demand and stronger competition from Polish suppliers. Similar to Italy, announced price increases in Germany are met with much bigger resistance from buyers.
