Good-quality log wood is scarce, sometimes very scarce. Many sawmills are undersupplied rather than oversupplied. The recent snowfalls likely put an end to log harvesting in the high mountains for months, and even at lower altitudes, it will take sawmills some time to normalize their log yards. In North Tyrol, snowfall damaged trees in some areas already in November. The snowfall in early December may have caused further damage.
The price of fresh log wood is expected to hit triple digits again in the first quarter of 2024. Already in November, prices in southern Germany and Austria ranged from €89/m³ in Bavaria to a maximum of €100/m³ in Baden-Württemberg. In Austria, fresh log wood cost between €91 and €97/m³.
The upward trend in log prices in November also drove the prices of two of the three lumber products analyzed by the Holzkurier. The price of raw planed timber increased by €2/m³, while that of 17-mm sideboards rose by €3/m³. According to our research, the product with the greatest potential for growth, i.e. laminations for glulam, remained unchanged. Demand for glulam was stronger than expected in Germany both in October and November.
At the moment, timber trade companies are switching from minimum to normal stock levels. The time for spot prices is over.
