Mondragón Opens in Álava the Largest Sawmill in Southern Europe to Lead the European Forest Industry
yesterday at 12:58
,Spain
State Enterprise «Forests of Ukraine» has completed auctions for the sale of forest products for the first quarter of 2026. Nearly all of the offered resources were contracted. The auctions took place under new conditions — following the Cabinet of Ministers' introduction of a zero export quota for firewood, which intensified competition and pushed some positions to higher price levels.
The enterprise notes that the auctions were conducted for the first time under a complete ban on firewood exports. According to the assessment of State Enterprise «Forests of Ukraine», this was the key factor behind the price increase: market participants competed more actively for resources and submitted higher price offers. At the same time, prices for hardwood species continued to rise, while coniferous firewood remained relatively stable.
In the industrial timber segment, 381 thousand cubic meters were offered at the auctions. Practically the entire volume was contracted.
During the quarterly firewood auctions, the average price increased from 2.3 to 2.6 thousand UAH per cubic meter. The main contribution to the price rise came from hardwood species, which increased from 2.3 to 3 thousand UAH per cubic meter. Meanwhile, prices for coniferous firewood did not change significantly and remained at around 2.4 thousand UAH per cubic meter.
The firewood supply was almost evenly split between quarterly and semi-annual (forward) auctions. At the forward auctions, 100% of the resource — 741 thousand cubic meters — was sold, with an average price of 2.4 thousand UAH per cubic meter.
State Enterprise «Forests of Ukraine» emphasizes that the use of long-term contracts as a tool for hedging price risks has once again proven its effectiveness. In particular, in the first quarter, firewood under semi-annual contracts will be somewhat cheaper.
At the quarterly auctions for round timber, over 99.5% of the 775 thousand cubic meters of offered resources were sold. The average price increased from 6.8 to 7.3 thousand UAH per cubic meter.
At the same time, the enterprise stresses that it is incorrect to speak of a general price increase for commercial timber, as the trends vary significantly depending on the species. The largest price increases were recorded for birch (from 5.7 to 7.6 thousand UAH per cubic meter), oak (from 22 to 28 thousand UAH), and ash (from 8 to 11 thousand UAH). Conversely, prices for alder (from 6.7 to 5.9 thousand UAH) and pine (from 5.9 to 5.6 thousand UAH) decreased.
At the forward auctions for commercial timber, about a quarter of the resource — 654 thousand cubic meters — was offered. The average selling price was 7.2 thousand UAH per cubic meter, which is slightly lower than the quarterly figures. However, the effect of forward contracts was uneven: prices for oak and ash were lower, while prices for coniferous species were higher compared to the quarterly auctions.
The auctions for the first quarter of 2026 demonstrated nearly full contracting of resources in the main segments. The introduction of a zero export quota for firewood intensified competition and became a significant factor in price dynamics. In the firewood segment, price growth was driven primarily by hardwood species, while coniferous species remained stable. In the commercial timber segment, price changes were mixed, and forward contracts confirmed their role as a tool for planning and mitigating price risks.
