Softwood Log Exports

Australia’s annualised softwood log exports peaked year-ended September 2017 at 4.071 million m3, only ever breaching the 4.0 million m3 mark that month and the following month. By contrast to the current export volumes, 2017 seems a long distant memory.

As the chart below shows, annualised export volumes may have slipped away since then, but annual weighted average export prices peaked roughly one year ago, in April 2025, reaching AUDFob180.92/m3.

Most recently, annualised export volumes have been stable, but export prices have been crumbling away rapidly, but remain well above historic average prices.

Australian Annualised Softwood Log Exports: Jan ’10 – Feb ’26 (‘000m3 & AUDFob/m3)

Source: ABS and IndustryEdge

Annual exports of softwood logs boost to 1.391million m3

Exports of softwood logs over the year-ended February 2026 totalled 1.391 million m3. In February, exports totalled 116,320 m3, at a weighted average price of AUDFob129.09/m3. Formal reporting shows India received 76% of the total, while shipments to China accounted for 21%. Tiny volumes continue to make their way to Vietnam and South Korea.

Australian Softwood Log Exports by Country: Jan ’20 – Feb ‘26 (m3)

Source: ABS and IndustryEdge

Over the year-ended February 2026, Australia’s total exports of softwood logs were 14.6% higher than the prior year, totaling 1.450 million m3. Reported monthly exports totaled 175,332 m3 in February 2026.

For exports, softwood logs are differentiated as smaller or larger than 15 cm diameter. The distinction between log sizes was previously more noteworthy, but analysis becomes challenging as monthly export volumes are increasingly erratic, as seen in the chart. If the chart retains validity in current markets, it is in part to show the contrast over time.

Australian Softwood Log Exports by Size: Jan ’21 – Feb ‘26 (‘000 m3 and AUDFob/m3)

Source: ABS and IndustryEdge

Larger logs (diameter >15cm) are dominating Australia’s exports. As the chart shows, from 2021, the trend shifted away from favouring exports of the smaller diameter (<15 cm) logs. That appears to have changed again in recent years, with larger dimension logs again dominating export data reports and growing strongly from some regions of Australia. Although these logs are >15cm diameter at the small-end, industry reports demonstrate they are rarely sawlogs, with most <22cm SED.

Over the year ending February 2026, exports of the smaller logs totalled 0.183 million m3 or 13.2% of the total, while shipments of larger logs totalled 1.207 million m3 (86.8%).

Differentiation of exports based on diameter also allows for some price analysis. Export prices for the smaller logs have remained relatively stable in recent months, moving through a narrow range, while the average price of the larger diameter logs has fluctuated moderately more. Both are however trending down.

In February, exports of the smaller logs tallied an average AUDFob131.81/m3 while the larger diameter logs saw prices at AUDFob128.21/m3.

Hardwood Log Exports Down 53% year-ended February

In February 2026, Australia’s hardwood log exports totalled a reported 1,311 m3 at an average price of AUDFob851.67/m3.

Examined on a full-year basis, across the year-ended February 2026, hardwood log exports were down 53.4%, totalling 10,450 m3.

Australian Hardwood Log Exports by Country: Jan ’21 – Feb ’26 (‘000 m3)

Source: ABS and IndustryEdge

The table below shows hardwood log exports by State for the last three months.

Australian Hardwood Log Exports by State: Dec ‘25 – Feb ’26 (m3)

Source: ABS and IndustryEdge

NZ EXPORT UPDATE

Annual softwood exports up 8.3% year-ended February reaching 22.362 million m3

New Zealand’s softwood log exports are focussed primarily on supply to China, with total exports for the year-ending February recorded at 22.362 million m3, exported at an average price of NZDFob154.19/m3. The weighted average price was 9.8% lower than the previous year.

New Zealand Softwood Log Exports by Size: Jan ’21 – Feb ‘26 (‘000 m3 and NZDFob/m3)

Source: Statistics NZ and IndustryEdge

Over most time periods, the weighted average price for softwood log exports has been largely the same, regardless of dimension, as the table below shows.

Average regional export price continues to move sideways at USDFob92.69/m3

IndustryEdge’s Australian and New Zealand Export Log Price Index was up in the month of February. The weighted average New Zealand price was up 3.7%, while the Australian equivalent fell 7.6%. The dominance of the New Zealand supply has kept the index in ‘normal’ territory.

The combined price index value for December trade rested at 85.323 points, meaning the average log price was around 14.7% lower than the index starting point in January 2017, in cash terms, before accounting for inflation.

The index combines and weights softwood log exports from Australia and New Zealand. It provides a consistent view of the price being achieved for the region’s logs, for the combined trade from Australia and New Zealand, as well as for each of Australia and New Zealand separately.