Italy: Lumber Market still low and no recovery in sight

Source:
IHB/FORDAQ
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The softwood market in Italy started the first quarter of 2012 with Italian importers and distributors seriously worried about the carpentry sector due to decreasing residential projects. At the end of March the situation became worse because of a payment crisis.

Bad weather in February and the new taxes applied to the housing sector have brought the carpentry sector to almost complete stagnation. Only renovation kept the market alive, but the credit system and the excessive competition are having an adverse impact on profits.

Some big Italian importers have just returned from business meetings in Austria where sawmills are showing a dramatic increase in fir logs’ prices (103-104€/m3 in Northern Tyrol) vs. a strong slow down of the lumber production due to dull market conditions and uncorresponding prices on the buyers’ market.

In the packaging sector the influence of the above factors is giving higher purchasing power to the Italian pallet producers at the expense of Austrian and German sawmills. Prices are down for sawdust due to unsold pellet inventories and particle board/furniture crisis, therefore sawmills are offering first cut lumber for packaging at competitive prices as now this is the only market destination to consume the sawmills' production constantly.

Many sawmills are trying to keep steady the prices for packaging lumber but the competition and special offers for spot orders arriving from top sawmills are thwarting these strategies. Also pallet squares in solid wood are now under assault by the compressed wood squares offers, due to the low cost of sawdust.

In May, which marks the beginning of the best season for packaging, some price increases are forecasted but the production units must always align their strategies to the market evolution in Italy. In fact, the usual procurement planning with 3 months in advance is nowadays replaced by 1,5 month advance purchases due to the lack of stability.

 

€/m³
March 2012

€/m³
Jul 2011

Note

Packaging 17x75, 95, 115

140-145

155-160

fresh, franco N-Italy

Packaging-Morali 8x8, 10x10

152-160

155-165

fresh, franco N-Italy

Packaging 23x100,120 sorted by width

155-165

160-170

fresh, franco N-Italy

Packaging 23x160+

150-160

150-160

fresh, franco N-Italy

Cutbacks 23mm, 2,5m

125-140

-

fresh, franco N-Italy

Lumber according to list

160-170

-

fresh franco carpenter

Lumber-Morali

165-180

170-180

fresh, franco N-Italy

Suared timber 15x20 cm, 3-4,5m
"Spigolatti"

180-195

180-195

fresh, franco N-Italy, + 7 €/m

Plane shelves 22x150

190-220

220-240

trocken, franco N-Italy

Planks 50x220/240 II/III "Ponteggio"

180-195

-

fresh, franco N-Italy

Glulam beams (BSH si)

385-400

395-410

franco N-Italy

Glulam beams (BSH nsi)

365-380

375-390

franco S-Italy

Duo/Trio

385-400

-

franco N-Italy

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