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Author: Madison’s Lumber Reporter

  • Canada Federal Government Lumber Trade Update

    Attendees this week at the BC Council of Forest Industries AGM in downtown Vancouver, BC, got an excellent update on Canada-US softwood lumber trade issues from Assistant Deputy Minister at Global Affairs Canada, Kirsten Hillman, and BC Lumber Trade Envoy David Emerson. Robust ongoing demand and looming potentially-retroactive duties on softwood lumber later this month…

  • US Apartment Vacancy Rate: 1Q 2017

    Reis reported Friday that the US apartment vacancy rate was at 4.3 per cent in Q1 2017, up from 4.2 per cent in 4Q 2016, and unchanged from 4.3 per cent in 1Q 2016. The vacancy rate peaked at 8 per cent at the end of 2009. From Reis: Effective Apartment Rents Decline in 23…

  • US Real House Prices, Price-to-Rent Ratio: Jan 2017

    The Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index rose at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 7.9 per cent, slower than the 9.2 per cent increase in December, according to the S&P Dow Jones Indices Tuesday. In real terms, and as a price-to-rent ratio, [US house] prices are back to late 2003 / early 2004…

  • Softwood Lumber Negotiations Update and NAFTA

    The latest movement from the new US Administration on trade issues is this week bringing forward NAFTA discussions to the US Congress. Of most interest to the Canadian and US softwood lumber industry, a component of the Administration’s letter appears related to the softwood lumber dispute with Canada. The draft calls for eliminating a provision…

  • Canada Rail Transportation 2015, Railway Carloadings: January 2017

    Operating revenue for the Canadian railway industry edged up 0.6 per cent from 2014 to $14.4 billion in 2015, said Statistics Canada Friday. Freight transportation revenue, which accounted for 91.2 per cent of total revenue, was up 0.3 per cent to $13.1 billion. In 2015, operating expenses fell 5.3 per cent to $10.0 billion. Meanwhile,…