Author: kkosman

  • US Construction Spending: Oct and 3Q 2020

    The total value of US construction put in place in October rose +1.3% from September, and +3.7% from October 2019, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of US$1.439 trillion, according to US Census Bureau data released Tuesday. US residential construction spending in 3Q 2020 is the highest since the previous residential boom in 2005-2006. Spending…

  • Madison’s Softwood Lumber Prices Dec 4: sneak preview

    Here is a SNEAK PEAK at tomorrow’s print for North American construction framing softwood lumber and panel prices: “Robust demand persisted, sending sawmill order files well toward the end of December.” — Madison’s Lumber Reporter In September 2015, the “recent-low” of lumber prices, benchmark commodity Western Spruce-Pine-Fir KD 2x4s were selling for US$249 mfbm. The…

  • North America Rail Traffic, Lumber: November 2020

    The Association of American Railroads (AAR) Wednesday reported US and Canadian rail traffic volumes for November 2020. US railroads originated 900,194 carloads in November 2020, down -6%, or 55,198 carloads, from November 2019. US railroads also originated 1,136,695 containers and trailers in November 2020, up +11.5%, or 116,915 units, from the same month last year.…

  • Continued Unseasonably Strong Demand Sends Lumber Prices Higher

    US housing starts were mostly flat in 2019. At this time last year softwood lumber sales improved markedly and prices started to rise from quite low levels. As the beginning of 2020 came on, the data on US home building was much improved over the previous year, sending demand for construction framing dimension softwood lumber…

  • Federal Register Publication – AR1 Final for Softwood Lumber Anti-Dumping Portion

    The AR1 Results of Final Review have been published in today’s (11/30/2020) issue of the Federal Register confirming the effective date (today) the adjusted subsidy (AD) rates can be used going forward, until further notice, as the AD Cash Deposits.  However, as was the case with the DOC’s Preliminary instructions in 2017, the adjusted CVD…