| Seattle, USA. February 2010. Pulp markets have been | | | | based on current quarter average prices, and country |
| remarkably strong during 2009 despite the global | | | | regional wood fiber consumption data. |
| financial crisis. From April through December, the | | | | The Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) also |
| softwood market pulp price (NBSK) jumped 45%. | | | | went up last quarter. The SFPI increased 5.6% to |
| Strong pulp markets and a tight wood fiber supply | | | | US$98.34/odmt mainly as a result of higher wood |
| pushed wood fiber costs upward last year. | | | | fiber costs in Sweden, Finland, the US, Spain and |
| The WRQ Global Wood Fiber Price Indices (both | | | | Chile. The SFPI is now US$7.85/odmt lower than |
| softwood and hardwood) have gone up for four | | | | HFPI, which is the biggest difference ever recorded. |
| consecutive quarters. The Hardwood Wood Fiber | | | | Just three years ago the circumstances were |
| Price Index (HFPI) reached US$106.19/odmt in the | | | | reversed; the SFPI being more than $10/odmt higher |
| 4Q, which was up 7% from the previous quarter. | | | | than the HFPI. Historically, softwood fiber costs have |
| The HFPI increased 15.4% during 2009, which was | | | | always been higher than hardwood fiber costs, but |
| the third highest level since the launching of the | | | | the year of 2009 was a trend breaker. |
| Index in 1988. | | | | Higher costs for Eucalyptus logs, reduced fiber |
| The biggest price increases in US dollar terms during | | | | consumption in regions with high softwood fiber |
| the 4Q occurred in Germany, Finland, Spain and | | | | costs, and exchange rate adjustments were all |
| Australia. Those four countries also had the highest | | | | factors that transformed the global wood fiber |
| delivered wood costs of all countries tracked by the | | | | market in 2009. |
| Wood Resource Quarterly. Prices in both Spain and | | | | Global timber market reporting is included in the |
| Australia were close to their all-time highs. | | | | 50-page publication Wood Resource Quarterly. The |
| The Global Average Wood Fiber Price Index is a | | | | report, established in 1988 and with readers in over |
| weighted average of delivered wood fiber prices for | | | | 25 countries, tracks sawlog, pulpwood, lumber and |
| the pulp industry in 17 regions tracked by the | | | | pellet prices in key regions around the world and also |
| publication Wood Resource Quarterly. These regions | | | | includes regular updates of the latest developments in |
| together account for 85-90% of the world's | | | | international timber, pulp, lumber and biomass |
| wood-based pulp production capacity. The price is | | | | markets. |