The latest issue of the Western Wood Products Association’s monthly Lumber Track shows steady improvement in Canadian and US sawmill capacity utilization rates and softwood lumber production volumes.
Softwood lumber production by US sawmills reached 32.772 billion board feet (bbf) in full year 2016, a gain of 3.4 per cent from 31.643 bbf in the same period the previous year, Portland, OR’s, according to Lumber Track.
Canadian sawmills produced 28.335 billion board feet of softwood lumber last year, a gain of 6.2 per cent from 26.687 bbf in 2015.
US sawmill production as per cent of practical capacity for full year 2016 was 86 per cent, compared to 83 per cent in the same period last year.
Canadian sawmills production as per cent of practical capacity in 2016 was 90 per cent, compared to 86 per cent in the same period last year.
Canada and US Lumber Production, Sawmill Capacity: Full Year 2016
US softwood lumber consumption was 48.341 bbf in 2016, a 9.7 per cent increase from 44.082 bbf in the year before.
SAWMILL PRODUCTION AS PERCENT OF PRACTICAL CAPACITY
US sawmill production as per cent of practical capacity for full year 2016 was 86 per cent, compared to 83 per cent in the same period last year.
Canadian sawmills production as per cent of practical capacity in 2016 was 90 per cent, compared to 86 per cent in the same period last year.