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US Existing Home Sales: May 2019
Boosted by lower mortgage rates, existing home sales, released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), rebounded in May. This is the first gain in two months. Total existing home sales, including single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, climbed 2.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.34 million in May. On a year-over-year basis, sales…
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US Lumber Imports & Exports vs Softwood Lumber Prices: April 2019
US lumber imports from the world crashed in April, down -22% from March, said US Census Bureau in the latest data release Tuesday. US lumber imports from Canada are down almost -25%. US lumber imports from China are down only -5% in April 2019 compared to March. US exports of softwood lumber for April 2019…
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Canada Lumber Manufacturing & Sales, Exports vs Softwood Lumber Prices: April 2019
Lumber production in Canada increased by +18.7% from February to 5,528.3 thousand cubic metres in March, said Statistics Canada in the latest data release June 5. Production was -5.3% lower than in March 2018. Sawmills shipped 5,145.1 thousand cubic metres of lumber in March, up +15.7% from February and -2.1% lower than in March 2018.…
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US Housing Starts: May 2019
Total housing starts in the US posted a -0.9% decrease in May, to 1.269 million units, compared to an upwardly revised April estimate of 1.281 million units, according to the joint data release Tuesday from the US Census Bureau and HUD.Relative to May 2018, total starts are -4.7% below the annual pace of 1.332 million units. …
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Softwood Lumber Sales Explode on More Major Sawmill Curtailments
After inexplicably wallowing in the doldrums for 2019 so far, North America wholesaler softwood dimension lumber prices reversed spectacularly last week. US housing starts for May, released Tuesday morning, were relatively stable compared to April. Potentially helpful to players seeking understanding of current market conditions, prices quoted for the July contract of softwood lumber futures…
