After a very slow first half of this year for lumber sales, at the beginning of August demand picked up enough to turn around the most recent price drops. There was enough sales volumes for suppliers to be able to firm up prices, potentially providing understanding of the new bottom. A few more curtailment announcements…

NAFTA Ruling May 6, 2024: U.S. Department of Commerce to correct errors in its setting of countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber, given 90 days to respond. Background info in previous update here: https://madisonsreport.com/nafta-chapter-19-panel-on-u-s-countervailing-duties-on-canadian-softwood-lumber/ Madison’s Lumber Reporter reached out to Global Affairs Canada to find out what are the next steps, now that the 90-day…

Gain deep understanding of the market dynamics for softwood panel prices produced and sold across North America: Oriented strand board and plywood Check back with the Madison’s website www.madisonsreport.com often for the latest developments and updates. In the week ending August 02, 2024, the price of Canadian Softwood Plywood – 3/8 – FOB Toronto was…

Gain deep understanding of the market dynamics between the three main 2×4 construction framing dimension softwood lumber prices produced and sold across North America: WSPF, ESPF, and SYP East Side. Check back with the Madison’s website www.madisonsreport.com often for the latest developments and updates. In the week ending July 26, 2024, the price of Western…

As July drew to a close the past long-time habit of cautious buying seemed to be fading, as a good number of customers got off the fence and made substantial lumber purchases. Because there continued to be weak field inventories, even wholesalers and reloads had to put their orders in at sawmills. This demand pushed…

As 1H 2024 forestry data is released, the bigger picture of timber harvest volumes, log sales, lumber manufacturing, and lumber exports — together with madison’s price data — will well illuminate what to expect. As can be seen from the first graph at the top of this page; at this time two years ago lumber…

The post-dual national holidays in Canada and the US did nothing to jolt an increase in lumber sales. As true summer weather is upon North America any hopes of a seasonal jump in demand for lumber did not materialize. Sawmills and wholesalers alike prepared to hang “Gone Fishing” signs at their desks, so little inquiry…

A dramatic drop in multi-family starts the previous month brought total housing starts for the US in May down significantly. The latest data release, for June, shows a bounce back in multi-family starts, which was enough to drive total housing starts back up. The Madison’s Lumber Prices Index for the week ending July 12, 2024…

The first week of July, with its dual Canada-US national holidays, was a continuation of the muted demand seen so far this year. Lumber manufacturers and sawmills across North America kept up their strategy of rotating curtailments to maintain lower production volumes in an effort to prevent lumber prices from falling further. For their part,…

There was no notable increase in demand for lumber in advance of the dual Canada and US national holidays. Veteran players continued to shake their heads in wondering when, and/or if, there will be the usual seasonal lumber sales push at all this year. Indeed, at this time last year prices were rising. The overall…