Finland's sawmill industry is likely to face further permanent capacity closures — high sawlog costs and weak softwood lumber demand persist, and analysts at Inderes note cuts so far have been "relatively limited" given the length of the downturn (Global Wood Markets Info).
Holmen's sawmill losses persist, but easing log costs point to a shifting Swedish timber market (Global Wood Markets Info).
New Zealand's log export market is steadying as China port inventories tighten, with ocean freight the key remaining risk (Global Wood Markets Info).
Ontario is investing $2.1M in four projects to open global markets for made-in-Ontario forest products, including new uses for mill byproducts and forest biomass (Biomass Magazine).
Wood Pellets
A new Wood Fuel and Heating Association (WFHA) launched in the UK, uniting pellet, chip and waste-wood suppliers, boiler distributors and installers to advocate for biomass heating — especially rural/off-grid uses where heat pumps are impractical; it will work alongside the UK Pellet Council on ENplus certification (Bioenergy Insight).
