The Nordics: Europe's pulp makers

← The Pulp Trade Map

The Pulp Trade Map · Makers and buyers

Two of the Nordic region's big pulp makers are owned through the people who own the trees. Södra has more than 50,000 family forest owners as members, and Metsäliitto, the parent of Metsä Fibre, is owned by about 90,000 Finnish forest owners ^5,6. This post shows who makes Nordic pulp, who owns the forest, and what has changed at the mills.

Published October 27, 2026 · Facts as of October 27, 2026 · 10 min read · Sources listed at the end

Facts as of October 27, 2026. This page states the facts as they stood on that date. Figures, rules and company plans may have changed since publication. We review this guide every six months and update the pages.

21.0 MtPulp made by Sweden (11.4) and Finland (9.7) together in 2024, as reported to FAO ¹

6.7 to 8.6 MtPulp exported by Sweden and Finland together each year, in the years with usable data, 2015 to 2025, as reported by each country ²

About 60%Share of Finnish forest held by non-industrial private owners, Finnish Forest Industries says; in Sweden, individuals own 49% of productive forest ^3,4

9.3 million m3Wood Finland imported from Russia in 2021, about 10% of its forest industry's raw material ⁹

The 60-second version

What is it?

Sweden and Finland are the Nordic pulp makers in our data. Together they made 21.0 million tons of pulp in 2024, against 26.7 million tons for Brazil ¹. Many Nordic forests belong to families, and two large pulp makers are owned through groups of forest owners ^3,4,5,6.

Why does it matter?

A pulp maker owned by forest owners buys wood from its own members. Metsä Group says three quarters of the wood it buys in Finland comes from its members' forests ¹¹. Lenders and buyers can then ask who supplies the wood and who owns the mill.

How does it work?

Families grow the trees, which take 60 to 80 years in southern Finland ¹⁰. A member-owned company buys the wood and makes pulp. Sweden and Finland then ship 6.7 to 8.6 million tons a year across borders ². China is a large buyer, and its customs records show more Swedish pulp than Sweden's own ².

Myth or fact?

"Nordic pulp comes from large forest companies that own most of the trees."

See the answer

Mostly myth. Individuals own 49% of declared productive forest land in Sweden, and private companies own 25% ³. In Finland, non-industrial private owners hold about 60% of forests and companies 9% of productive forest land ⁴. Södra is owned by family forest owners, and Metsäliitto by Finnish forest owners ^5,6.

In this post

1. How much pulp do Sweden and Finland make?
2. Who owns the forests behind Nordic pulp?
3. How long does a Nordic tree take to grow, and where does extra wood come from?
4. How much pulp do Sweden and Finland export?
5. Do Sweden and China record the same Swedish pulp?
6. Which Nordic mills matter, and what is happening to them?
7. What else do Nordic pulp mills make?

01How much pulp do Sweden and Finland make?

The data show that Sweden made 11.4 million tons of pulp in 2024 and Finland made 9.7 million tons ¹. Together that is 21.0 million tons. Brazil made 26.7 million tons in the same year ¹. For the Nordic countries, FAO's series starts at 5.3 million tons for Sweden and 4.3 million tons for Finland in 1961 ¹.

Both countries peaked in the 2000s. Finland's highest year was 2006 at 13.1 million tons, and Sweden's was 2007 at 12.6 million tons ¹. By 2024, Sweden was 9.7% below its peak and Finland was 26.2% below its peak. No source we found explains why Finland fell further.

For how this compares with China and Canada, see the pulp trade map.

Chart

Sweden and Finland: pulp production, 1961 to 2024

• Sweden
• Finland

Million tons. Source: FAOSTAT Forestry, item 1875 Wood pulp (downloaded October 2026).

02Who owns the forests behind Nordic pulp?

In Sweden, individuals own 49% of declared productive forest land. Private companies own 25%, public owners 20% and other private owners 6% ³. Sweden had 309,587 single forest owners in 2023, and the average holding was 34 hectares ³.

In Finland, non-industrial private owners hold about 60% of forests, the state 26%, and companies 9% of productive forest land ⁴. Finland has about 620,000 forest owners, and the average holding is 30 hectares ⁴. Finnish Forest Industries gives no data year for these shares ⁴.

Two large pulp makers are owned through such groups. Södra says it has more than 50,000 family forest owners as members ⁶. Metsäliitto Cooperative is owned by about 90,000 Finnish forest owners, and it is the parent of Metsä Fibre ⁵. Metsä Group says three quarters of the wood it buys in Finland comes from privately owned forests of its members ¹¹. Södra's 2025 pulp production reached a record 1.9 million tons ⁶.

1. Families own forestIndividuals own 49% of Sweden's productive forest, and families hold about 60% of Finland's forests ^3,4.
2. Owners join a cooperativeSödra has more than 50,000 family forest owner members. Metsäliitto has about 90,000 owner-members ^5,6.
3. Members sell woodThree quarters of the wood Metsä Group buys in Finland comes from its members' forests ¹¹.
4. The company makes pulpMetsäliitto owns Metsä Fibre, which runs Äänekoski and Kemi ^5,8,12.
5. Pulp crosses bordersSweden and Finland exported 6.7 to 8.6 million tons a year in the years with usable data ².

Individuals own 49% of declared productive forest land in Sweden, the Swedish Forest Agency says ³.

03How long does a Nordic tree take to grow, and where does extra wood come from?

The Finnish Forest Association says the normal rotation period in southern Finland is 60 to 80 years ¹⁰. See the tree race for the comparison with Brazil.

Finnish Forest Industries says forest growth has exceeded annual fellings by 30% in recent years ⁴. Finland also bought wood abroad. In 2021 it imported 9.3 million cubic meters of wood from Russia, about 10% of its forest industry's raw material. Birch pulpwood and coniferous wood chips were about three quarters of that ⁹.

In April 2022 the industry body said these imports were to be discontinued. It said forest companies must find another source for the gap, particularly for birch pulpwood ⁹. The sources we used do not say how the gap was filled.

04How much pulp do Sweden and Finland export?

The data show that Sweden and Finland together exported between 6.7 and 8.6 million tons of pulp a year in the years with usable data. The low was 6.7 million tons in 2015 and the high was 8.6 million tons in 2020 ². In 2025 the total was 8.1 million tons ². Finland's 2019 figure is withheld because its weights failed our checks ².

The export line is flat while Brazil's rises from 12.0 to 22.3 million tons over the same years ². Finland to China was the seventh largest route in our 2025 data, at 1.8 million tons ². These figures cover bleached and other chemical grades, groundwood pulp and dissolving pulp in the codes we downloaded, so they are wider than the FAO production figures above. Do not divide one by the other.

For the European side of these flows, see Europe: maker, buyer and rule-maker. The Nordic exporters are part of that picture.

Chart

Pulp exports by country, 2015 to 2025

• Brazil
• Indonesia
• Canada
• Chile
• United States
• Sweden and Finland

Million tons. Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by each exporting country; partner rows; weights that failed checks are left out. 2025 data may be revised. Gaps: US 2018 and 2025, Finland 2019 (weights failed our checks). Most US weights are UN estimates.

05Do Sweden and China record the same Swedish pulp?

They do not. The data show that China records 1.1 to 2.0 times the tons that Sweden records for Swedish pulp going to China, in every year from 2015 to 2025 ². In 2025, Sweden reported 0.64 million tons and China reported 0.95 million tons, a ratio of 1.5 ².

No source we found explains the gap for this route. When a buyer, lender or researcher needs one figure, the safest way is to name the source: "as reported by China". Why countries' pulp numbers don't match explains how such gaps arise in general. We quote China's filing and name it when we use it.

For importers and lenders the lesson is simple. Check which side's records a contract, a loan file or a market report uses before comparing two tons figures.

Chart

Swedish pulp going to China: Sweden's records against China's records

• Sweden's exports to China (as reported by Sweden)
• China's imports from Sweden (as reported by China)

Million tons. Source: UN Comtrade, HS 4701, 4702, 470311, 470319, 470321, 470329 and 4705, partner rows, usable weights only; 2025 may be revised ². Ratios and rounding are our arithmetic.

06Which Nordic mills matter, and what is happening to them?

The table lists mills named in our research. Some are new, and some have closed.

SCA's Östrand mill in Sweden makes 900,000 tons of bleached softwood pulp on one line. First pulp came on June 23, 2018. Valmet, the equipment supplier, calls it the world's biggest line for bleached softwood kraft pulp ⁷. Metsä Fibre's Äänekoski mill in Finland was inaugurated on October 18, 2017, after an investment of about EUR 1.2 billion. Its pulp output rose from about 0.5 million tons to 1.3 million tons ⁸. The Kemi mill started on September 20, 2023, with a capacity of 1.5 million tons and a value of about EUR 2 billion ¹². Production stopped after an evaporation plant explosion and resumed in June 2024 ¹².

Other Nordic capacity is shrinking. Stora Enso decided on September 4, 2023, to close Sunila permanently. The site had 375,000 tons of long-fiber capacity ¹⁷. Metsä Fibre began a shutdown at Joutseno on March 31, 2026. It said the shutdown matches production to the uncertain demand situation in the Asian markets ¹⁵. Stora Enso said it would stop softwood fiberline 3 at Skutskär in the third quarter of 2026. The company said market conditions did not support a viable path for the line ¹⁶.

Building a mill of this size costs billions of euros. For how lenders look at a large mill and its offtake agreements, see structured commodity finance in the Ossiano Trade Finance Guide.

Mills

Nordic pulp mills named in our research

Capacities are as stated by the companies or, where marked, by trade press. Joutseno capacity is from PaperAge. Skutskär L3 capacity is not stated by Stora Enso ^{7,8,12,15,16,17}.

Mill	Owner	Capacity (tons a year)	Status (October 27, 2026)
Östrand, Sweden	SCA	900,000, bleached softwood	In production since June 2018 7
Äänekoski, Finland	Metsä Fibre	1.3 million	In production since 2017 8
Kemi, Finland	Metsä Fibre	1.5 million	Started September 2023; restarted June 2024 after an explosion 12
Joutseno, Finland	Metsä Fibre	690,000, softwood (trade press)	Shutdown from March 31, 2026; lay-off talks for about 160 people from September 7, 2026 15
Sunila, Finland	Stora Enso	375,000, long-fiber	Closure decided September 4, 2023 17
Skutskär, Sweden	Stora Enso	Site 515,000 before; 440,000 fluff after	Softwood line 3 to stop in Q3 2026; fluff expansion due Q4 2027 16
Södra mills, Sweden	Södra	Not stated in the source we used	Record pulp production of 1.9 million tons in 2025 6

07What else do Nordic pulp mills make?

Metsä gives an electricity self-sufficiency rate of 240% for Äänekoski and 250% for Kemi ^13,14. In plain words, Kemi generates 2.5 times the renewable electricity it consumes ¹³. Both figures are the company's own.

Some products are in production and some are still being built. For more on these products, see more than paper: the biorefinery. For how lenders look at the working capital of a pulp business, see working capital and trade finance.

How real is it?

Nordic mill products and their stage

• In Production
  Pulp at Östrand and ÄänekoskiÖstrand has made pulp since June 2018 and Äänekoski since 2017 ^7,8.
• In Production
  Electricity from KemiThe mill started in September 2023 and generates 2.5 times the electricity it uses, Metsä says ^12,13.
• In Production
  Crude tall oil at SödraSödra says it can make about 46,000 tons a year across its pulp mills. This is a capacity figure ¹⁹.
• Being Built
  Kraft lignin at MönsteråsSödra started construction in 2025. Completion is scheduled for 2027. Cost is over SEK 2 billion ¹⁸.

Stage labels: In production (commercial plants running), Being built, Planned (announced, not yet built), Pilot (test plant), Lab (research only), Stopped (closed or cancelled). Stage labels are ours, based on the evidence cited.

What this means for traders

• Name the source of every Nordic tons figure. Sweden's and China's records of Swedish pulp differ by up to 2.0 times.
• Check the status of each mill in a contract or loan file. Joutseno and Skutskär have had shutdown or closure decisions, while Kemi has restarted.
• Cooperative pulp makers answer to forest-owner members. Ask who supplies the wood and who owns the mill.

Questions traders ask

How much pulp do Sweden and Finland make?

In 2024, Sweden made 11.4 million tons and Finland made 9.7 million tons, a total of 21.0 million tons, according to FAO data.

Who owns Södra and Metsä Fibre?

Södra is owned by more than 50,000 family forest owners who are its members. Metsä Fibre is owned by its parent Metsäliitto Cooperative, which about 90,000 Finnish forest owners own, together with other shareholders.

Who owns the forests in Sweden and Finland?

In Sweden, individuals own 49% of declared productive forest land. In Finland, non-industrial private owners hold about 60% of forests, according to Finnish Forest Industries.

How long does it take a tree to grow for pulp in the Nordics?

The Finnish Forest Association says the normal rotation period in southern Finland is 60 to 80 years.

Why do Sweden and China record different amounts of Swedish pulp?

No source we found explains the gap for this route. China records 1.1 to 2.0 times the tons that Sweden records. When you use either figure, name whose records it comes from.

Read next

• Makers and buyersEurope: maker, buyer and rule-maker
• Inside the millThe tree race: 7 years in Brazil, 60 to 80 in Finland
• InnovationMore than paper: the biorefinery
• Start hereWhy countries' pulp numbers don't match
• Start hereThe pulp trade map: who ships to whom, 2015 to 2025
• Makers and buyersBrazil: can the largest pulp exporter keep growing?
• Ossiano Trade Finance GuideHow each trade finance instrument works
• GlossaryTrade finance terms in plain English

Buying or selling Nordic pulp, or financing a pulp mill? Ossiano Capital works on trade finance for pulp and paper trades.

Start the Conversation

Sources and notes

1. FAOSTAT Forestry, item 1875 Wood pulp, production, 1961 to 2024, Sweden and Finland; Brazil for 2024. Downloaded October 2026. https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/FO
2. UN Comtrade, exports reported by Sweden and Finland and imports reported by China, HS 470100, 470200, 470311, 470319, 470321, 470329 and 470500, 2015 to 2025 (Finland 2019 withheld); downloaded October 2026 and checked by us. https://comtradeplus.un.org/
3. Swedish Forest Agency (Skogsstyrelsen), Average area per holding were 34 hectares in 2023, March 26, 2024. https://skogsstyrelsen.se/en/news/average-area-per-holding-were-34-hectares-in-2023
4. Finnish Forest Industries (Metsäteollisuus), Facts about Finnish forests, published March 30, 2023, last modified April 7, 2025. https://metsateollisuus.fi/newsroom/facts-about-finnish-forests
5. Metsä Group, Business structure (undated). https://www.metsagroup.com/metsa-group/about-us/business-structure/
6. Södra, Challenging market conditions burden Södra's 2025 earnings, year-end report, February 12, 2026. https://news.cision.com/sodra/r/challenging-market-conditions-burden-sodra-s-2025-earnings,c4306759
7. Valmet, SCA starts world's largest softwood pulp line, June 19, 2019. https://www.valmet.com/insights/articles/pulp/sca-starts-worlds-largest-softwood-pulp-line
8. Metsä Group, Metsä Group's bioproduct mill inaugurated in Äänekoski, October 18, 2017. https://www.metsagroup.com/news-and-publications/news/2017/metsa-groups-bioproduct-mill-inaugurated-in-aanekoski/
9. Finnish Forest Industries, Import of Russian timber to be discontinued: where to find an alternative source of wood raw material, April 12, 2022. https://www.metsateollisuus.fi/newsroom/import-of-russian-timber-to-be-discontinued-where-to-find-an-alternative-source-of-wood-raw-material
10. Finnish Forest Association (Suomen Metsäyhdistys), forest.fi glossary, Periodic cover silviculture (undated). https://forest.fi/glossary/periodic-cover-silviculture-jaksollinen-metsankasvatus/
11. Metsä Group, We know the origin of the wood we use (undated, read October 27, 2026). https://www.metsagroup.com/sustainability/forests-and-wood/origin-of-wood/
12. Metsä Group, Metsä Group Kemi bioproduct mill inaugurated, October 23, 2024. https://www.metsagroup.com/news-and-publications/news/2024/metsa-group-kemi-bioproduct-mill-inaugurated/
13. Metsä Fibre, Kemi bioproduct mill brochure (undated). https://metsagroup.com/globalassets/metsa-fibre/attachments/brochures/metsa-fibre-kemi-bioproduct-mill-en-lowress.pdf
14. Pulpapernews, Metsä Group inaugurates new Äänekoski pulp and bioproducts mill; Metsä Fibre, Äänekoski bioproduct mill page (undated). https://www.pulpapernews.com/20190803/8935/metsa-group-inaugurates-new-aanekoski-pulp-and-bioproducts-mill
15. Metsä Fibre, Production shutdown at Metsä Group's Joutseno pulp mill, March 3, 2026, and change negotiations release, September 7, 2026; capacity from PaperAge, March 3, 2026. https://www.metsagroup.com/metsafibre/news-and-publications/news/2026/production-shutdown-at-metsa-groups-joutseno-pulp-mill/
16. Stora Enso, press release on Skutskär fluff pulp investment and softwood line closure, June 17, 2026, and plan release, May 25, 2026. https://www.storaenso.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026/6/stora-enso-invests-in-fluff-pulp-production-increase-at-its-skutskar-business-unit-and-concludes-change-negotiations-for-softwood-line-closure
17. Stora Enso, decision to close Sunila pulp production and lignin extraction, September 4, 2023 (redistributed full text). https://www.storaenso.com/en/newsroom/press-releases
18. PaperAge, Södra starts construction of its new kraft lignin plant in Sweden, May 28, 2025. https://www.paperage.com/2025news/05-28-2025sodra-starts-construction-of-its-new-kraft-lignin-plant-in-sweden.html
19. Södra, Tall oil product page (undated). https://www.sodra.com/en/uk-ie/products/bioproducts/tall-oil/

Trade figures come from UN Comtrade (2015 to 2025, as reported by 10 countries) and FAOSTAT (1961 to 2024), checked and recalculated by us; each chart names whose data it uses. All tons are metric tons. All facts on this page are as of October 27, 2026, the date of publication, and may have changed since. For rules and tariffs, check the pulp watch before you act.

About this post. Prepared for Ossiano Capital. People planned, researched, wrote and checked this post, using AI tools to help with research and checking. You are welcome to quote or reuse it: please credit Ossiano Capital and link to this page.