OSB prices in the UK steadied during January following some instances of weakness in the fourth quarter of 2011 which were attributed to mounting competition from Continental production leading to increased availability.
With their own home markets struggling to combat significant or even dramatic declines in OSB demand, some producers on mainland Europe are now targeting the UK where consumption has held up quite well by comparison, according to a leading player.
This intensification in competitive activity has led at least one key supplier of OSB into the UK market to postpone a price increase that had been intended for the first quarter. However, a senior spokesperson said that the forward OSB price trend must remain upwards to mitigate the effects of ongoing “huge production pressures”. He added: “Our costs haven’t changed. In fact, they have gone up – particularly for energy and glue.”
