Where Will Softwood Supply Come From to Meet Future Increases in Demand?

Global softwood roundwood supply is entering a period of tighter balance. Supply has remained essentially flat since 2000, despite continued growth in overall roundwood production, and is expected to increase by only about 0.5% annually through 2035. With demand for construction timber, packaging and biomass continuing to grow, the supply-demand balance is likely to tighten, putting upward pressure on real log prices in most regions.

We are launching the fourth report in a four-part series analysing the outlook of softwood roundwood supply and pricing across all major regions worldwide. The series assesses forest area, growth, mortality, harvest intensity, supply chain costs, and log prices, along with projections of supply and pricing through 2035.  

Our final report, “Global Softwood Roundwood Supply Outlook – Global Overview”, examines how softwood supply across all major regions worldwide evolve through 2035. The outlook differs substantially across regions.   The reports’ overall message is clear: global softwood supply can grow, but only modestly. Increasingly constrained regional resources mean that accessible, competitively priced logs are likely to become more difficult to source through 2035.  

The first report in the series, published in April, focused on North America; the second, released in May, covered Europe and Russia; and the third, released in May, covered supply in Latin America and Asia-Pacific. The final report, a global overview, has just been released.  

The studies were conducted by Glen O’Kelly, O’Kelly Acumen (Stockholm, Sweden), and Håkan Ekström, Global Wood Trends (Seattle, USA).   

Source: Global softwood supply 2035