Softwood Timber Sales

Sawn softwood sales were strong in early 2020, with sales in February 2020 totalling 254,375 m3, up 9.7% on a year earlier. January’s sales were up 4.1% on the prior January. The position was not as strong on an annualised basis, with the year-ending February seeing sales total 2.872 million m3, down 5.3% on a year earlier.

The conditions and sales clearly improved over recent months, as the chart below shows.

Fig. 10

To go straight to the dashboard and take a closer look at the data, click here.

The next chart – over the same time period – shows sales by grade. It provides some clues to changes in the sales profile over recent times. Its main purpose however is to demonstrate that regardless of the point in the cycle, demand for sawn softwood products continues for all products and grades in relatively equal proportions.

Fig. 11

To go straight to the dashboard and take a closer look at the data, click here.

If there is variance between the grades, it is most reflected in the structural grades – between the treated and the untreated products. The chart below shows the relative performance of the structural grades over the last five years to the end of February.

In particular, for the red and blue lines, it shows how the dominant grades (<120mm) have fared. We can see that sales of the Treated Structural <120mm grade (blue line) rose to almost equivalence with their untreated cousin (Structural <120mm shown on the red line). It is also clear that they declined together and sales volumes were virtually the same through to February 2019, but that subsequently, treated sales slipped away, while untreated sales were stable.

Fig. 12

To go straight to the dashboard and take a closer look at the data, click here.

The table below shows the experience of the last year for all sawn softwood grades.