SEATTLE — Wood fiber costs continued to go up for the global pulp industry in the second quarter of 2011, according to the market report Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ). The Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) reached US$109.52 per oven-dry metric ton (odmt) in the 2Q/11, a 3.7 percent increase from the previous quarter and 23 percent higher than two years ago.

Prices of wood chip and pulplog  have increased the most in the U.S. Northwest, Western Canada, Russia and Finland. According to Wood Resources Intl, the weakening U.S. dollar against most global currencies in the second quarter resulted in higher fiber prices in all 18 regions covered by the WRQ report.

The Hardwood Wood Fiber Price Index (HFPI) reached a new all-time-high in the 2Q at $116.44/odmt, which was 5.5 percent higher than 1Q/11 and almost 27 percent higher than in early 2009. Recently, hardwood prices have gone up the most in Indonesia, Finland, Russia and Brazil.