It was a very unexciting start to spring for North American softwood lumber manufacturers.
Demand remained muted as customers felt only more cautious about external factors like macro-economic conditions and skyrocketing fuel prices. Sellers responded by continuing to keep their sold wood inventories low, as confusion reigned and no one wanted to get stuck with high-cost material if prices fall.
Concern about having to fill inventory holes with material at below-replacement costs was on the top of everyone’s minds.
As in 2025, the instant snow melted wildfires started. Indeed, British Columbia already put in a fire ban at the end of April. Sawmills had spent the winter focussed on timber harvest, so operators were well loaded up with fibre in their log yards.
Whenever proper demand does arrive, lumber producers will be able to increase production to meet that. If business continues slow, sawmills will remain in curtailment / downtime.
In the week ending April 24, 2026, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$490 mfbm.
This was flat from the previous week, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was up +$18, or +4%, from one month ago when it was $472.
Players described a subdued tone at the Montreal Wood Convention, while most dimension lumber prices continued to level off amid cautious buyer activity.
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- KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
- Western-SPF suppliers in the US were busy enough that they were running out of wood.
- Producers were, at best, selling just around production costs.
- In Canada, Western-SPF sawmill prices continued to level off.
- Elevated fuel prices and unpredictable shipping timelines added complexity to an already-tricky shipping equation.
- Sawmill order files were maintained around two- to three-weeks out.
- The Eastern-SPF market was signified by a notable lack of optimism.
- Distributors were busy as buyers did everything possible to avoid building inventory.
- Purveyors of Southern Yellow Pine contended with a confusing market as mixed signals alternately indicated firmness or vulnerability.
- Eastern Stocking Wholesalers in the US Northeast had to be nimble as they avoided carrying even a scrap of excess inventory.
Madison’s Benchmark Top-Six Softwood Lumber and Panel Prices: Monthly Averages
