Top news and stories from EWORLDWIRE http://www.eworldwire.com/ http://www.eworldwire.com/logos/logo40x60.gif http://www.eworldwire.com/ 40 60 (C) Copyright 2011 EWORLDWIRE Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:30:05 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212119Softwood sawlog prices have trended upwards in all major regions of North America over the past two years, reports Wood Resource Quarterly. The biggest increases have occurred in the U.S. Northwest, where the log export market has had a major impact on the supply-demand balance. Total log shipments to Asia from the U.S. west coast last year were the highest they have been in 14 years, and much of this increase was the result of China's seemingly never-ending need for wood raw-material. The U.S. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:57:27 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212114Global pulp production in the second half of 2010 was higher than many had anticipated, and pulp markets were better than they had been the first six months of the year, reports Wood Resource Quarterly. The total production of chemical market pulp last year reached an estimated 45 million tons, which was about seven percent more than was produced in 2009. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:15:37 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212100The following statement is issued by Wood Resource Quarterly (http://www.woodprices.com): The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11 is first and foremost a humanitarian tragedy that is difficult to comprehend. Over 10,000 people died during and in the immediate aftermath; more than 400,000 people lost their homes and 100,000-150,000 buildings were destroyed. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:25:20 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212082The European Union has stated that by 2020, at least 20 percent of total energy consumption should be supplied by renewable energy resources, reports Wood Resources International. In an effort to reach this target, many countries have increased their consumption of woody biomass in the form of both wood chips and pellets the past few years. In 2010, just over 11 million tons of wood pellets were consumed, which was about seven percent higher than the previous year. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:20:53 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212071Sawlog prices have trended upward in almost all regions of the world for the past two years, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) reached $80.88/m3 in the third quarter of 2010, which was the highest level since the beginning of the financial crisis in late 2008. The Index, which is based on prices for logs being processed into construction and better-grade lumber, is a weighted average of sawlogs traded in the open market in 19 key regions worldwide. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 04 Mar 2011 09:56:01 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212056The international financial crisis in 2009 had a major negative impact on worldwide demand for pulp and paper products, reports Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). As a result, the consumption of wood chips and pulpwood for pulp production was lower, and global trade of wood chips fell accordingly. However, in 2010, pulp markets improved and global shipments of wood chips were up substantially. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:35:54 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/212009China has come to the rescue for many sawmills and timberland owners in the U.S. and Canada the past year, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. The value of softwood logs and lumber shipped from North America to China is estimated to reach over US$1.6 billion in 2010, which is up dramatically from just a few years ago. In 2008, total exports were valued at $350 million, while they were only $125 million five years ago. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:05:22 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211977For most of the past 20 years, pulpmills in Western Canada have had lower wood fiber costs than pulpmills in the Eastern provinces. One year ago, pulp manufacturers in British Columbia paid almost C$60/odmt less for softwood chips than did pulp mills in Ontario and Quebec, and five years ago the difference was almost C$100/odmt, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 24 Dec 2010 12:29:57 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211966Over the past year, the sawmilling sector in Europe has shifted from high production levels and the highest lumber prices in four years, to weakening lumber demand and reduced prices for many lumber grades during this fall. European lumber production fell by six percent to 93 million m3 in 2009, which was the lowest level in eight years. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:42:08 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211952After a temporary drop in the second quarter of 2010, the Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) increased again in the third quarter to the highest level seen during the financial crisis, according the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ) (http://www.woodprices.com). The SFPI was US$99.80/odmt in the third quarter, up $1.51/odmt from the previous quarter and $6.68/odmt from the same quarter in 2009. Prices did not go up only because of a weakening U.S. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:04:42 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211941More than 80 million tons of wood chips, valued at almost $10 billion U.S. dollars, are traded annually in the open market worldwide and the shipment volumes are increasing, according to Wood Resources International (WRI). The vast majority of traded wood chips are currently utilized for pulp production, but the volumes used to generate energy are growing. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:03:48 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211902Continued increases in demand for wood raw-material from sawmills, plywood plants and pulp mills in China has pushed domestic log prices upward, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). Many Chinese companies are increasingly exploring the opportunities of importing more logs and wood chips to supplement the domestic fiber sources. The tight log supply has resulted in higher prices for domestically sourced logs this year. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:27:53 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211881Despite slower lumber export sales, sawlog prices in Sweden continued upward in the second quarter, reaching the highest levels on record in local currency, affirms the Wood Resource Quarterly. Log prices have increased faster in the southern part of the country where both sawlogs and pulpwood prices are now higher than in the northern region. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:25:46 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211868Wood fiber cost, which is by far the largest cost component when manufacturing wood pulp, declined for many pulp producers worldwide in the second quarter of 2010 in U.S. dollar terms, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly (http://www.woodprices.com). Hardwood fiber prices in U.S. dollar terms fell in the U.S., Australia, and most countries in Europe. As a result, the Hardwood Wood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) was down 2.3 percent from the previous quarter to US$103. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 05 Oct 2010 09:35:36 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211859Prices for woody biomass, whether sawmill by-products, forest residues or urban wood waste, were higher in the third quarter than the previous quarter in most regions throughout the U.S. The Northwest saw the biggest increase; forest biomass prices (delivered) were up 19 percent from the second quarter of 2010, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review (NAWFR). [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 27 Sep 2010 11:58:54 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211815Total wood chip exports from Australia fell 32 percent in 2009 to their lowest levels in 10 years. Softwood chip shipments were down by almost 26 percent from 2008, reaching a low of 790,000 tons last year, as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly (http://www.woodprices.com). Exports of hardwood chip exports were down by 41 percent, to four million tons. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:34:02 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211812As a sign of improved markets for forest products in early 2010, global trade of logs increased by almost 20 percent during the first quarter as compared to the same quarter in 2009, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. An estimated 67 million m3 of softwood logs were traded in the world in 2009, which can be compared to over 95 million m3 in the record-year of 2007. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:32:06 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211801Demand for woody biomass in the form of wood chips, wood pellets and torrified pellets will increase substantially in Europe over the next ten years. Exactly how much though, is unclear as the size of the increase depends on policies and subsidies implemented by governments in individual countries within the European Union. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:24:44 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211742Eucalyptus pulplog prices in Brazil have been very stable in the local currency and they have hardly changed at all since 2006, as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly (http://www.woodprices.com). In U.S. dollar terms, on the other hand, wood fiber costs have increased substantially because of the strengthening of the Brazilian Real. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:36:48 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211725Global conifer sawlog prices have steadily increased for four consecutive quarters in all major world regions. The Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI), which is based on quarterly conifer sawlog prices in 19 key regions worldwide, increased from US$65.89/m3 in the first quarter of 2009to US$76.77/m3 in the first quarter of 2010, a climb of almost 17 percent, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:43:39 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211718Sweden is one of the countries in the world that has come the furthest on the road towards fossil fuel independence, affirms the Wood Resource Quarterly. Last year, the Swedish government approved a plan to have renewable energy reach 50 percent of the total energy consumed in the country by the year 2020, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. In addition, the country aims to be totally independent of imported fossil fuels for the transportation sector by 2030. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:41:00 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211671Wood fiber costs for the global pulp industry have been in an upswing the past year and are currently at their highest levels since the beginning of the financial crises in late 2008, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). The cost of wood accounts for about 55 percent of the total production costs when manufacturing pulp, so it is the one cost component that often decides a pulp mills competitive advantage in the global market place. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:20:23 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211670Northern California is home to the largest concentration of stand-alone biomass plants in North America. In the 1970s the state witnessed an explosive rise in the number of plants because of a high interest in alternatives to fossil fuels. This period was followed in the early 1980s by a dramatic drop in the number of operating plants due to waning interest in green energy and falling oil prices, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review (NAWFR) ('http://www.woodprices.com'). [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:25:47 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211640Global trade of wood chips, as with most commodities, fell in 2009 because of the international financial crises. Wood chip trade had increased on average five percent per year annually between 2002 and 2008, reaching an all-time high of 31 million oven-dry metric tons (odmt) in 2008. This upward trend was broken last year when trade fell 14 percent from the previous year, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ) (http://www.woodprices.com). [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 21 May 2010 10:30:22 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211598The balance between wood fiber demand and supply varied throughout the U.S. in the first quarter of 2010, reported the North American Wood Fiber Review (NAWFR) ('http://www.woodprices.com'). The fiber market in the South has become much tighter as a consequence of high fiber demand coupled with historically low sawmill residual supply. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 29 Apr 2010 08:51:25 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211590Domestic softwood sawlog prices have moved up in Russia in 2009 both in Ruble and in U.S. dollar terms, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com'). In the fourth quarter, average pine log prices were over 30 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2009 (in Ruble terms they were up 15 percent during the year), as reported in the Wood Resource Quarterly. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:24:27 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211579Prices for most lumber grades in the U.S. were higher in December than at any other time during 2009, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com'). The Random Length Framing Composite Lumber Index, which consists of a basket of 12 different species and grades, did go up almost 25 percent last year. In December, the Index was at its the highest point in 15 months. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:52:34 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211513Pulp markets have been remarkably strong during 2009 despite the global financial crisis, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com'). From April through December, the softwood market pulp price (NBSK) jumped 45 percent. Strong pulp markets and a tight wood fiber supply pushed wood fiber costs upward last year. The WRQ Global Wood Fiber Price Indices - both softwood and hardwood - have gone up for four consecutive quarters. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:42:16 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211496Over the past few years, there has been a rapid, worldwide expansion in the consumption of renewable energy by the pulp and paper industry, as observed in the Wood Resource Quarterly. Numerous pulp and paper plants have made the strategic decision to invest in the equipment needed to make the switch from fossil fuels to woody biomass fuels. Global consumption of biomass increased by 51 percent between 2006 and 2009, according to an analysis done with FisherSolve (Fisher International). [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:48:20 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211483The Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), a new federal program in the U.S. that is intended to increase the usage of renewable energy by covering some of the costs related to the collection of woody biomass and agricultural residues, has been in effect for a few months and has created much interest, as well as confusion, within the forest industry, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review ('http://www.woodprices.com'). [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:57:11 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211435Softwood lumber markets continued to be weak in Japan and the U.S. during the third quarter of 2009 but have improved in Europe and, surprisingly, northern Africa, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com'). Swedish sawmills have shipped 45 percent more lumber to Egypt, Morocco and Algeria this year compared to last year, and this market has a current market share of 23 percent of all lumber exported from Sweden. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:04:14 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211425There has been a rapid expansion in wood pellet capacity in North America the past five years, from just over one million tons in 2004 to over six million tons in 2009, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review ('http://www.woodprices.com'). British Columbia was the first region to take advantage of inexpensive sawmill residues and to produce wood pellets for the fast growing European market. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:29:51 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211416Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com') reports hardwood fiber costs for the global pulp industry have risen faster than softwood fiber costs in 2009. Over the past 20 years, the Global Softwood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) has typically ranged between US$5-10/odmt higher than the Global Hardwood Fiber Price Index (HFPI). This relationship changed this year because hardwood fiber costs have increased more than softwood costs. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:57:59 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211344The North American Wood Fiber Review affirms that wood fiber supply to Canadian pulp mills has shifted from lower-cost residual chips from local sawmills to higher-cost wood chips manufactured from roundwood. The low operating rates for many sawmills has decreased the availability of relatively inexpensive residual chips, which has forced many pulp mills to either reduce production or to furnish their mills with high-cost fiber. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:50:20 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211303Global trade of wood chips has increased on average four percent per year from 2004 to 2008, reaching a record 32 million tons last year, affirms the Wood Resource Quarterly. This upward trend was broken in 2009 with trade being down 26 percent during the first half of the year as compared to 2008. The drop in shipments was the direct result of the global financial crises and the reduced demand for paper products worldwide. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:11:56 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211247Australia, the world largest exporter of wood chips reduced shipments by 28 percent during the first half of 2009, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com'). The biggest decline was that of softwood and hardwood chips to Japan which were down 31 percent and 36 percent, respectively, compared to the same period in 2008. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:16:31 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211231The Chinese economy continues to positively surprise, with the GDP growing by 7.9 percent in the second quarter of 2009, reports The Wood Resource Quarterly. Domestic consumption of forest products has increased, with new construction and remodeling being the major drivers for higher consumption of wood products. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:19:59 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211225Demand for wood pellets and investments in pellet plants continue to grow despite the global financial crises and tight credit markets, affirms the Wood Resource Quarterly. In some countries, the current slowdown in the economy has actually had a positive effect on the biomass industry because politicians have often favored bio energy and pellet-heating projects in governmentally funded economic stimulus packages. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:50:07 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211198There are signs that the Brazilian pulp industry is starting to recover from the weak global demand for pulp and paper products, affirms Wood Resource Quarterly. In April, pulp exports equalled 766,000 tons, up 43 percent from the previous month and 140 percent higher than shipments a year earlier. The Brazilian pulp companies have benefited from closures of pulpmills resulting in reduced production capacity in the Northern Hemisphere and an increase in demand for pulp in China. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:38:58 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211192The Global Sawlog Price Index (GSPI) in the second quarter of 2009, increased for the first time since late 2007, reaching $68.87/m3. The Index, which is based on conifer sawlog prices in 19 key regions worldwide from 1995 to present, was still close to its lowest level in five years. Affirms the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ), prices were slightly higher in most world regions this quarter mainly because of a weaker U.S. dollar. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:24:18 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211185Weak pulp markets and reduced demand for wood fiber resulted in lower costs for wood chips and pulpwood in practically all regions of North America in the 2Q/09, affirms The Wood Resource Quarterly. This is the fourth consecutive quarter that wood fiber prices have fallen, with the biggest reductions occurring in Western U.S. and Western Canada. In the U.S. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:27:03 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211174Wood cost is the factor that often determines the competitiveness of a pulp manufacturing plant, affirms the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). This cost typically varies between 40-65 percent of the total cash cost, depending on product grade and the costs of other components such as chemicals, energy and labor. In the first quarter of 2009, the worldwide average cost of wood as a percentage of total manufacturing cost was 53 percent, according to Fisher International's database. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:04:15 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/211132Pulpwood prices fell substantially in practically all markets in Europe in the 1Q/09, observed The Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). The biggest declines occurred in Sweden, Finland, France and Germany, where softwood and hardwood prices were down 11 to 18 percent from the previous quarter. Pulpwood prices have fallen faster in Europe than they have globally, according to WRQ. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:30:40 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19664The total wood fiber consumption by the pulp sector in Japan has slowly increased over the past 15 years, reaching a record of 19.1 million tons in 2008, of which 13 million tons was hardwood fiber, reports The Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com'). This can be compared to a total consumption of 18.7 million tons in 2005 and 18.4 million tons in 1993. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:14:33 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19657Since in 2008 U.S. pulp companies began to take advantage of a U.S. tax law loophole, prices for wood chips and pulpwood in the U.S. have not fallen as much as they would have without the subsidy, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. A substantial tax credit for black liquor, a by-product created when producing wood pulp, has been a timely injection to the U.S. pulp and paper industry, and it has changed how many pulpmills have been running their plants in the past six months. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:00:52 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19634The Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ) ('http://www.woodprices.com') observes that sawmills in North America have taken a great deal of market-related downtime in 2009 with no region being immune to the deteriorating markets. Lumber production in the U.S. South was 27 percent lower in the 1Q this year as compared to the same quarter last year, while production in the western U.S. was down 30 percent over the same period, according to Western Wood Products Association (WWPA). [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:17:40 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19593The competition for wood raw-material in Europe has been intensifying the past few years as sawmills, wood-panel manufacturers, pulpmills and bio-energy facilities expanded capacity during 2006 and 2007 and therefore increased their usage of roundwood and wood residues, reports Wood Resource Quarterly. Lately, the pulp market has weakened resulting in lower demand and prices for pulpwood in all countries in Europe. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:46:23 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19581The global pulp and paper industry has continued to reduce production in 2009, reports Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com'). The manufacturing of market pulp was 16 percent lower the first two months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 29 May 2009 10:34:45 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19572Japan is the second largest importer of logs in the world after China. Wood Resource Quarterly ('http://www.woodprices.com') reports that for many years, sawmills in the country have been very dependent on the importation of sawlogs for wood raw-material needs, relying on 35 percent foreign logs in 2008. Imports of logs have fallen over the last ten years, while imports of processed products such as lumber, plywood and fiberboard have increased during much of the past decade. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 26 May 2009 14:16:37 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19558Wood Resource Quarterly reports log consumption in Finland was substantially lower in 2008 than in the previous year. Total harvests were down about 7 percent, with log deliveries from small private owners 25 percent lower than in 2007. Contrary to domestic log deliveries, log imports increased by 3 percent, totaling over 13 million m3 last year. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 15 May 2009 17:54:16 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19528The lumber market in New Zealand (N.Z.) continues to be weak, and many sawmills are running at reduced operating rates due to falling domestic housing activity and a weak property market, reports Wood Resource Quarterly. Housing starts have trended downwards, with the total number of new dwellings at only about 60 percent of what it was just over a year ago. In 2008, 24 sawmills closed, and it is expected that more plants will permanently shut down in 2009. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:18:08 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19511The forest industry continues to struggle in Canada, with many forest companies making the difficult decision to close plants permanently, thus laying off thousands of people in pulpmills, OSB mills and sawmills throughout the country, reports the North American Wood Fiber Review. In addition to permanent closures, there is also reduced production for a majority of the pulpmills and sawmills as a result of the weak market both domestically and internationally. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:58:41 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19503Pulpmills and sawmills took a great deal of market-related downtime in the 4Q/08 and 1Q/09, with no region of North America immune to the deteriorating markets for most forest products, reports Wood Resources International. Market pulp production in North America was 29 percent lower in December 2008 than in the same month in 2007. The operating rate was a record-low 69 percent in December, which can be compared to 87 percent in Europe and 85 percent worldwide. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:04:35 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19502Europe is currently both the largest producer and consumer of wood pellets in the world, reports Wood Resource Quarterly. Consumption in 2008 was estimated to be over eight million tons, with Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy being the largest consumers on the continent. Sweden is the largest producer and consumer of wood pellets in the world with a total production of about 1.7 million tons in 2008. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:04:14 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19500Vietnam is now one of the most important suppliers of plantation Eucalyptus and Acacia wood chips to the pulp industry in both Japan and China. The country has expanded shipments gradually over the past six years and is now the world's fourth largest hardwood chip exporter, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. Vietnam has become a major exporter of wood chips in a short period of time. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:55:51 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19445Wood Resource Quarterly affirms that production of forest products in China declined in the 4Q because of reduced demand for most forest products both domestically and from export markets. As a result, softwood log imports were down again in the 4Q for the sixth consecutive quarter. Total softwood imports were 4.2 million m3, down from 6.5 million m3 in the 2Q/07. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 25 Mar 2009 08:54:42 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19418The global wood pellet industry, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly, has developed remarkably fast, evolving from being practically non-existent 15 years ago to being an important wood fiber consumer which is increasingly competing with pulp and wood-panel industry for wood raw-material. Global pellet production was close to 10 million tons in 2008, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:29:48 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/19321Reduced consumption of lumber in North America and Europe in the third quarter of 2008 resulted in lower demand for sawlogs and declining prices for softwood timber, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). Because wood costs account for 65-75 percent of the production costs when producing softwood lumber, they are the key factor determining a region's or company’s competitiveness. The WRQ Global Conifer Sawlog Price, based on sawlog prices in 19 key regions worldwide, fell 5. [EWORLDWIRE] Mon, 26 Jan 2009 14:29:13 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/18909Wood fiber costs, the major cost component when producing wood pulp, increased in practically all major pulp-producing regions around the world in the 2Q/08, according to the market report Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). This was both a result of a continued weakening of the U.S. dollar against most major currencies and because of higher transport costs for both pulpwood and wood chips. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:15:02 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/18899As a result of the implemented and planned log export taxes in Russia, shipments of softwood logs from Russia have declined both to Europe and Asia in 2007 and 2008. In the first quarter of 2008, Russia shipped 44 percent less to Europe and 15 percent less to Asia. During the first quarter of 2008, Russia exported less to all of its major trading partners except China, which increased purchases by 14 percent. [EWORLDWIRE] Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:45:02 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/18765Export prices for both pine and Eucalyptus wood chips have gone up substantially in 2008 in Australia as a result of increased demand in Japan and a tighter supply of wood chips throughout the Pacific Rim region, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. Australia has become the world's largest exporter of wood chips, shipping a record of over 6 million oven-dry metric tons (odmt) in 2007, with 2008 promising to be another strong year. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:04:43 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/18566Pulpmills in both Europe and the Pacific Rim are increasingly sourcing their mills with wood from fast-growing plantations. This has resulted in a major expansion of worldwide trade of both wood chips and pulplogs the past few years, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. Global trade of wood chips has more than doubled in 20 years, reaching 31 million tons in 2007. Just since 2003, total trade has increased by almost 30 percent. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 28 May 2008 17:43:59 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/18550Tight residual supply, higher fuel costs and unfavourable weather were all factors that pushed wood costs for the world’s pulp industry to new record levels in 1Q/08. Wood costs went up in most of the 17 world regions covered by the market report Wood Resource Quarterly. One country that bucked the upward price trend was Russia, where higher log supply reduced wood costs by over 15 percent in the 1Q. [EWORLDWIRE] Fri, 23 May 2008 15:00:20 -0400 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/18192Wood fiber costs increased for many pulpmills in North America in the 4Q. Availability of less expensive residual chips from sawmills declined and the share of costly roundwood chips increased throughout the continent. In U.S. dollar terms, wood fiber prices were about 7 percent higher than the previous quarter and almost 20 percent higher than a year ago. [EWORLDWIRE] Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:51:25 -0500 http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/18139Global sawlog and pulpwood market updates are included in the publication, "Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ)," which tracks the evolving global sawlog and pulpwood cost situation, including regular updates of the biomass market, timberland investment trends and forest industry profiles in important world regions. The WRQ Global Conifer Sawlog Price, based on sawlog prices in 19 key regions around the world, reached an all-time record high of $86/m3 in the 3Q/07. [EWORLDWIRE] Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:20:38 -0500