Asia Pulp & Paper, CVC Capital Partners and RGE are reportedly weighing separate bids for Essity's Consumer Tissue unit (Tork, Tempo, Cushelle), valued at ~€3B, with the sale process expected to start this month; Essity says its strategic review continues and all options remain under evaluation (PULPAPERnews, MarketScreener)
Forestry & Timber
Stora Enso has reversed its denial and confirmed ~5,000 m³ of pulpwood and sawlogs from Google's disputed data-centre clearings at Muhos and Kajaani, Finland (500+ ha, ~50,000 m³ harvested) reached its Oulu operations; UPM (Kymi, Pietarsaari mills) and Metsä Group (~5,000 m³) also took wood, and sawmiller Pfeifer Nordics is named. Finland's regulator has ordered Google's project company to halt felling pending EIAs, UPM and Metsä have suspended deliveries, and FSC and PEFC Finland are investigating (Wood Central, GWMI)
Update: Commerce's final softwood lumber review results were published in the Federal Register on Oct. 19 with company-specific rates — AD: Canfor 17.00%, West Fraser 4.71%, Resolute 13.13%, all others 10.64%; CVD: West Fraser 15.31%, Resolute 12.42%, all others 14.11%. Cash deposits apply to entries on or after Oct. 19 (Federal Register)
Mighty Earth's "Knives Out" report says the U.S. National Alliance of Forest Owners met EU lawmakers 26 times on the EUDR between July 2024 and August 2026 (versus 8 for Mondelēz, 2 for Cargill), and documents U.S. government pressure to reopen the law; large and medium operators must comply from Dec. 30 (Wood Central)
German spruce sawlog prices have turned down after nearly two years of increases as sawmills cut log purchases and lumber output falls (GWMI)
Western Australia's DBCA draft review recommends cutting the wild sandalwood live-tree cap from 1,250 to 750 t/yr (total harvest 2,500 → 2,000 t) under a 10-year framework, with ministerial sign-off expected in early 2027 — after Forest Products Commission harvesting contracts expire in late December; wild sandalwood earned the FPC A$16.4M in 2023-24 (Wood Central)
Pan Pac Forest Products (Oji Holdings) opened its new Central Support Hub at Whirinaki, Hawke's Bay, part of its rebuild after Cyclone Gabrielle caused ~NZ$280M in damage and lost production; a NZ$23.5M council flood-resilience project protecting the site is nearing completion (Timberbiz)
Australian new home sales fell 17.5% in the September quarter (-16.4% y/y, the lowest level in 18 months), with the cancellation rate rising to 13.6% (Timberbiz)
New Zealand's Pukepine Sawmills was fined NZ$210,000 plus reparations after a worker lost fingers in an edger drum that kept rotating ~15 minutes after power was isolated; WorkSafe urges run-down controls and interlocked guards on older machines (Timberbiz)
Wood Pellets
Springfield, Mass.: Mayor Domenic Sarno declared Palmer Renewable Energy's 35 MW wood-burning plant "dead" on Oct. 16, but Suffolk Superior Court hearings on its state air permit are scheduled for Nov. 9 and Dec. 8, and a legislative conference committee has until year-end to reconcile House and Senate bills removing biomass from the state's clean-energy category (Hoodline)
NC Health News reports U.S. wood pellet exports of ~10.1M t worth ~$1.9B in 2025 (~14% cleared through North Carolina's customs district) as advocates challenge bioenergy climate claims; Enviva's four NC plants are permitted for a combined 2.69M odt/yr (NC Health News)
Industry Technology Vendors
Waratah — Launched the H216X two-roller harvesting head for tracked carriers in hardwood thinning and harsh applications: 1,591 kg net (1,705 kg with topsaw), 650 mm delimb opening, 750 mm sawing capacity, TimberRite H-16 control system (Supply Post)
