Wood fiber costs for pulp mills fell in both North America and Latin America in the 4Q/12. The biggest declines occurred in Western US, British Columbia and Brazil, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly.The price declines in the local currencies were mainly the result of an increased supply of softwood fiber in regions with extensive lumber production.In the US Northwest, chip prices fell as much as 27 percent during 2012 and pulp mills in the region had some of the lowest softwood fiber costs in the world in the 4Q/12.The biggest decline in hardwood fiber prices occurred in Brazil where Eucalyptus log prices have fallen continuously for over a year from early 2011, when they were at their ll-time highs. In the 4Q/12, prices in US dollar terms were back down to same levels as where they were in early 2009.However, as a result of the weakening US dollar, wood fiber prices actually increased in US dollar terms in a number countries and the Softwood Wood Fiber Price Index (SFPI) was up very slightly in the 4Q/12, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly.