News in international markets

Stora Enso plans to initiate a new profit improvement program targeting annualized EUR 80 million improvement of the operational EBIT.

Södra Wood said it would consolidate its sawn timber operations to achieve economies of scale by relocating production volumes to its larger production units.

BelTA reported that exports of Belarusian sawn timber were up by almost 40% in 2023, according to figures released by the Belarusian Forestry Ministry.

Citing strong demand for green raw materials, Sveaskog announced that it is raising the prices for private forest owners who sell their wood to Sveaskog.

Södra has announced that it has implemented a timber price increase, effective January 18th. The change applies to normal logs and small sawn assortments of spruce and pine.

Ukraine’s state-run enterprise Forests of Ukraine has put up more than 1 million cubic meters of wood for auction, General Director Yuriy Bolokhovets said on Monday, Interfax-Ukraine reported.

Canadian wood pellet production was down 6% in 2023 and exports down were 14%, according to a Biomass Magazine review of USDA data.

According to the USDA and Biomass Magazine, the US exported 655,649.2 metric tons of wood pellets in November, down from 835,552.7 metric tons in October.

Metsä Group intends to discontinue sawn timber production at its Merikarvia, Finland, facility by the end of the summer of 2024.