Germany continued to export logs at record pace in early 2020, with almost 50% of the volume destined for China
The log market in Germany has been extremely volatile in the first half of 2020, with high demand from the export market and a tight supply of fresh green logs. When the Coronavirus Epidemic forced sawmills to close in March, domestic demand for sawlogs fell and the price increases seen earlier in the quarter reversed – resulting in both domestic and export prices falling. Sawlog prices varied throughout the country depending on the level of local supply, the quality of the beetle-killed timber, the availability of fresh logs, and the competition from log exporters. Log prices also