Austria\u2019s sawmill industry has managed to stabilize sales and production despite a tough economic environment, according to DI Markus Schm\u00f6lzer, chairman of the Austrian Sawmill Industry, speaking at the International Wood Day 2025. Rising costs for energy, raw materials, and labor, combined with weak overall economic conditions, continue to weigh on the sector. Schm\u00f6lzer called for improved economic policies, including lower ancillary labor costs and competitive energy prices.<\/p>\n
Franz Teuschler, chairman of the Austrian Timber Trade Association, noted mixed developments for the timber trade. Lower interest rates have slightly boosted construction, particularly larger projects, while demand for single-family homes remains weak. Export activity, however, showed stronger performance: conifer sawnwood exports rose nearly 11% in the first half of the year compared to 2024, driven by purchases from Italy and Germany.<\/p>\n
EUDR threat to production<\/strong><\/p>\n Schm\u00f6lzer highlighted the potential impact of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), warning that it could reduce sawnwood production by up to 10% if implemented as currently planned. \u201cMany forest owners may temporarily halt harvesting due to the costs and risks associated with the EUDR,\u201d he said. Reduced output would also affect downstream industries, including wood components, furniture, panels, paper, and pellet production.<\/p>\n The EUDR requires companies to verify that timber and timber products across the supply chain are deforestation-free, from raw material to finished product. According to industry representatives, this generates an unmanageable bureaucratic burden, particularly due to the need to track thousands of reference numbers through storage, processing, and delivery. A Finnish study estimates implementation costs at over \u20ac200 million initially, with \u20ac65 million annually, suggesting Europe-wide expenses could reach billions without measurable benefits.<\/p>\n Industry leaders argue that the EUDR, in its current form, is neither legally practical nor proportionate. Schm\u00f6lzer called for a comprehensive revision or repeal to reduce bureaucracy and restore European competitiveness.<\/p>\n While the Austrian timber sector supports the goal of halting global deforestation, it advocates risk-based measures rather than blanket regulation. Teuschler suggested introducing a separate risk category for low-risk countries, such as Austria, using documentation similar to the existing EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). Targeted inspections based on factual risk assessments, focusing on specific products, regions, or actors, would provide effective oversight without overburdening the European timber industry.<\/p>\n Industry overview<\/strong><\/p>\n Austria\u2019s sawmill sector comprises more than 1,000 companies, including family-owned businesses and global market leaders, employing roughly 10,000 workers in rural regions. Production value reached \u20ac3 billion in 2024.<\/p>\n The Austrian timber trade association represents around 4,500 members within a wider network of nearly 22,000 companies in the building materials and wood sector, offering services across the timber value chain and training programs such as the app-based \u201cWood-Star\u201d course.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204,5812],"tags":[3278,3393,3307,3383],"class_list":["post-96828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news","category-global-trends","tag-austria","tag-industry","tag-production","tag-sawmill","topic-forestry","topic-lumber","topic-sawmilling","topic-wood-products","area-europe","area-global"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n