News in international markets

Russia’s VLP Group will invest more than 2 billion rubles (US$20.4 million) to modernize its sawmill in Malaya Vishera, Novgorod Oblast. The facility was acquired from the Hasslacher Group in 2023.

Skogsfond Baltikum sold its three forest-owning subsidiaries in Latvia and Lithuania in December. The company said the forests and lands sold totaled about 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres).

The certified forest area covers nearly 1.6 million hectares (3.95 million acres), accounting for 71.5% of Taiwan’s total forest area—the highest certification rate among Asian countries.

Södra is launching three new long-term collaboration agreements: a Forest Owner Agreement, Management Agreement, and Supply Agreement.

New Forests announced the final close of the Fund, raising approximately AU$600 million from institutional investors from across Europe and Asia-Pacific.

A letter from the insolvency administrator, reviewed by BR24, indicates that the search for investors for segments of the insolvent Ziegler Group is nearing its initial conclusions.

UK timber and panel product imports were much higher in October, resulting in an overall 15% uplift in imports, TDUK reported.

Södra owns approximately 153,000 hectares (378,000 acres) of land in Estonia and Latvia, the majority of which is in Latvia.

Austria-based HS Timber Group announced an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Latvian wood processing company Vika Wood SIA from Swedish owner Bergs Timber AB.

The US exported 873,783.9 metric tons of wood pellets in November, up from 839,226.4 metric tons in October, Biomass Magazine and the USDA reported.