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MARKET BEATS 9
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Adding to the pressure are increasingly strict sustainability
requirements from export markets. South Korea has recently R. Godin - The Wild Center
tightened its quality standards, driving up export prices.
Meanwhile, Japan now mandates traceability certifications
like FSC and PEFC, and is gradually rolling out Sustainable
Biomass Program (SNP) standards for low-emission supply

chains.
To maintain its momentum, the sector must address
both supply stability and certification compliance. Experts
urge Vietnamese firms to invest in their own raw material
zones and prioritise legality and sustainability in line with
import regulations.
Vietnam’s success story with wood pellets is a
compelling example of upcycling—transforming what was
once considered low-value waste into a strategic, high-

demand product. before making a purchase.
Earlier in 2025, even broken branches and storm- In their latest market analysis, the experts at Heizpellets24
damaged trees from typhoons like Yagi were collected say the following about the expected development: prices
and processed into wood chips or pellets, helping earn usually start to fall at the end of the heating season in
nearly $2 billion in revenue from exported forest scraps April at the latest.
in just seven months. With the exception of 2013 and 2022, this has always
With strategic planning and sustainable sourcing, been the case in the last 20 years, and it looks likely that

Vietnam’s wood pellet industry stands poised not just wood pellets will also become cheaper in spring 2026.
to grow, but to lead globally in the renewable biomass In line with the current market situation, increased
energy space. stockpiling activity is to be expected from spring onwards.
Experts estimated at the beginning of March that prices
German pellet prices finally decline would therefore fall more slowly and less sharply than in
According to agrarheute.com, pellet prices are finally falling previous summers.
in mid-March, and quite significantly at that. However, the decline in prices has now begun earlier
Since the end of February, loose pellets have fallen by than expected and is more pronounced than anticipated.
around 15 euros. Bagged goods have also fallen in price Prior to this, however, pellet prices had risen sharply

by around 15 euros over the same period. once again. At the end of February, pellet prices had
The reason for the price decline is the end of the already fallen sharply.
heating season and the significant drop in demand from At the beginning of March, however, pellet prices jumped
pellet buyers following the recent price increase. sharply again. It is not yet clear whether the cause was
However, many pellet buyers believe that the current the rise in other energy prices (heating oil, gas, firewood)
price decline is only the beginning of a further significant or the scarcity and high prices of wood. Now, however,
price correction and are preferring to wait a little longer the trend is moving in the opposite direction again.