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Abstract
Roundwood markets in Northern Europe have changed significantly due to the enlargement
of EU in 1995 and 2004, and the formation of a common currency union between the 12 EU
countries in 2001. However, wider research on the larger context of interaction between
national markets in European Union is yet largely missing. This study shortly assesses
roundwood market development and integration in Northern Europe. First, international
roundwood and chips trade is studied by using simple descriptive analyses and annual
national data from EFI’s and FAO’s databases for coniferous roundwood trade in 1980-2004.
We classify countries as net importers or exporters of roundwood and examine how the trade
flows have evolved over time. Second, we explore how the unit values of the roundwood and
chips exports and imports have developed during 1980-2004, and explore signs for deepening
integration of the roundwood markets in terms of convergence of unit prices and price
variances. The results indicate that coniferous roundwood trade has been mainly moving
from east (Russia, Baltic States) to west (Finland, Sweden, Norway), even though there has
also been a small trading centre around Austria. The unit price development reveals that
national export and import prices have clearly converged during the last decade.