MATERIAL PRICES
Wood Price Today: Price, Trends and Forecast 2026 | Tacto
06.07.2026
Current wood price based on the HPE solid-wood packaging index (June reading 107.08 index points; July publication mid-July). Trend analysis on the spruce roundwood correction (benchmark grade BC 2b at 120 to 125 EUR per cubic metre since mid-June, 7 to 10 EUR below the March record), better-supplied sawmills, the structural softwood deficit, and the final US duty decision in August. Scenarios and procurement recommendations for European industrial buyers.
METHODOLOGY
The HPE solid wood index for wood packaging tracks the purchase prices of softwood sortiments used by the wood packaging, pallet and export packaging industry across DACH. The index is published monthly by HPE in cooperation with the University of Bonn. It includes domestic and imported wood. Real procurement costs additionally include grading, construction, drying energy, ISPM 15 treatment and logistics, none of which are inside the index itself.
AT A GLANCE
- The HPE solid wood for wood packaging index stays at 107.08 points (June); the July reading appears mid-July.
- The lead indicator is turning: spruce roundwood in the benchmark grade has stood at 120 to 125 EUR per cubic metre since mid-June, 7 to 10 EUR below the March record of over 130 EUR.
- Sawmills are again much better supplied and demand stays weak; the roundwood correction reaches the packaging index with a 4 to 8 week lag.
- The final US decision on Canadian softwood duties in August remains the key external date.
Contents
What is moving the price right now?
The turn is coming not from the index itself this time, but from its lead indicator. Fresh spruce roundwood in the benchmark grade BC 2b has stood at 120 to 125 EUR per cubic metre since mid-June, 7 to 10 EUR below the all-time high of over 130 EUR in March. Sawmills are again much better supplied with wood, and demand has weakened noticeably given the strained economy. Forest-owner associations report clearly lower settlements for newly concluded contracts than in the first quarter.
The HPE solid wood for wood packaging index still stands at 107.08 points (June reading, published 19 June); the July reading appears in mid-July. Upward momentum had effectively run out in June (+0.1 percent after +2.8 in March, +1.5 in April, +0.9 in May). Since the roundwood correction feeds into packaging sortiments with a 4 to 8 week lag, a flat or slightly falling index is realistic in the July reading for the first time since December.
The structural softwood deficit in DACH and Central Eastern Europe remains as a floor, and the US preliminary cut of Canadian softwood duties (final decision in August) keeps Canadian volume in the US market rather than in the Atlantic inflow to Europe.
What we watch: the HPE July reading in mid-July and the final US duty decision in August.
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What does this mean for procurement in DACH?
Use the roundwood correction as a negotiating argument now, not once it shows in the index. Suppliers cost with the current purchase price for spruce; 120 to 125 EUR per cubic metre instead of over 130 belongs in every price negotiation on wood packaging and solid-wood components.
For 12-month anchors, the index clause on the HPE monthly reading remains the basis; set the cap-and-floor band tighter now and negotiate participation in falling readings before the July value appears.
Watch the final US duty decision in August: it determines how much Canadian softwood stays tied to the US market and how far the European Atlantic inflow is dampened.
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Wood Price Forecast: Our Procurement Intelligence Team's Assessment
Base Scenario
Sideways until the July publication in mid-July. (1) Spruce roundwood has corrected to 120 to 125 EUR per cubic metre and acts as a damper on the index with a 4 to 8 week lag, (2) the structural softwood deficit holds the floor, (3) weak construction and industrial demand takes pricing power away from sawmills. A first index decline in the July reading is possible.
Risk Scenario
The final US duty decision in August keeps Canadian volume in the US market, a TTF rise lifts drying costs, firmer Scandinavian-Baltic freight. Probability 20 to 25 percent over the next three months.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When the cost of maintaining your current specification (especially if it relies on Canadian softwood) exceeds the cost of re-engineering for available domestic material or exploring OSB-based alternatives. In the current tariff environment, this analysis has shifted significantly in favor of substitution for many applications.
Most price-sensitive are higher grades (Select, #1, #2) with domestic origin, SYP with specific grades, and all Canadian-origin softwood. These segments are where tariff impact, mill capacity constraints, and lead-time pressure show up most acutely.
Combined tariffs on Canadian softwood average 30–45% depending on origin and product category. For procurement teams that historically sourced Canadian SPF or other softwoods at lower cost, these tariffs have fundamentally changed the landed cost equation. This may favor switching to domestic species (SYP, Douglas Fir) or material substitution (OSB-based solutions).
The Framing Lumber Composite Index is a real-time market anchor for softwood lumber spot pricing and reflects actual mill and distribution pricing. It’s tracked daily by Random Lengths and Fastmarkets and is highly relevant for industrial wood procurement. Your actual costs additionally depend on grade, species, moisture, volume, lead time, and tariff exposure on Canadian-origin material.
