UK softwood market faces weakening demand and persistent price pressures

Following a relatively stable start to the second quarter, the softwood market in the UK began to see price increases in April due to a decrease in the availability of sawlogs. Severe weather conditions, including heavy rain and storms across northern Europe, Britain's main sawn timber trading partner, left the forest floors too soft for log extraction, causing sawmills to experience shortages in raw materials and specific lengths needed for construction. April's consumption was severely impacted by flooding, which disrupted UK building sites and extended the construction slowdown from the first quarter. It was anticipated that with ...