The sharply rising raw material prices in the Dutch construction sector are not over yet, but there are bright spots. Wood prices appear to be stabilizing. The prices of a number of wood products are even slowly falling again.<\/p>\n
'In Q4, wood prices appear to be stabilizing...'<\/p>\n
The past period in the Netherlands as in many parts of the world has been dominated by price increases . In the first half of 2021 in particular, there was a number of raw material prices skyrocket.<\/p>\n
At the start of COVID 19, the major Dutch timber traders took measures to cover themselves against the consequences of COVID. But as it turned out, the demand for wood actually increased in 2020 and 2021 and the turnover increase was even tens of percentages. One of the reasons for this was that the Dutch construction industry, unlike construction in neighboring countries, did not go into lockdown.<\/p>\n
The Dutch builders were able to continue building during the pandemic. In addition, there was also plenty of work during the pandemic. Wood is also currently very popular as a building material in residential construction and is increasingly becoming an alternative to traditional building materials such as stone and concrete. All these factors together have led to the fact that the demand for wood is still unprecedentedly high.<\/p>\n
European softwood production is recovering. Sawmills in Eastern Europe in particular have resumed production and are back to their old pre-COVID-19 levels. It is therefore expected that softwood prices will fall further in Q4.<\/p>\n
The supply of certified sustainably managed forests exceeds the demand. In European forests, more grows every year than is harvested. The current situation is therefore expected to be temporary and calm will return once the world market has cooled down a bit and the logistical problems have been resolved.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The sharply rising raw material prices in the Dutch construction sector are not over yet, but there are bright spots. Wood prices appear to be stabilizing. The prices of a number of wood products are even slowly falling again. ‘In … Continue reading