view the latest video of Madison’s Lumber Reporter softwood lumber prices and market update, toward the end of April 2023: Check back with the Madison’s website www.madisonsreport.com often for the latest developments and updates. In the week ending April 21, 2023, the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$360 mfbm, which is…

As macroeconomic conditions stabilize, particularly mortgage lending rates, the latest US housing starts and new home sales data, for March 2023, demonstrates a reversal of the dropping demand last year. Spring is a historically popular time for new home building and for home sales, and as good weather finally comes on across the continent, builders…

Following the Easter long weekend, demand for lumber increased somewhat however supply remained abundant. Sales to retailers increased noticeably, as weather across the continent became more seasonably mild. A reminder to all that Madison’s Lumber Reporter has been tracking Canadian Plywood and OSB (oriented strand board) prices since the beginning. This is of course in…

What is normally considered a “litmus test” of sorts for the construction framing dimension softwood lumber market, the week leading up to the Easter holiday demonstrated still weak demand. Indications, though, were for increasing sales volumes to come, as sawmills were better able to deflect counter-offers than in recent weeks. Another bought of harsh winter…

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Lumber prices dropped yet again at the end of March, as demand remained soft and customers skeptical. While sawmills were able to book order files out two weeks or longer, most buying remained just-in-time. Almost no one was stocking inventory, which is a bit odd given the time of year. Usually by the end of…

Into the end of March markedly improved weather across the continent perked up demand for lumber, pushing out sawmill order files to almost a month. As such, suppliers were able to boost prices higher. The annual spring break brought a noticeable absence of players, as families took off work while the kids were out of…

view the latest video of Madison’s Lumber Reporter softwood lumber prices and market update, toward the end of March 2023: Check back with the Madison’s website www.madisonsreport.com often for the latest developments and updates. In the week ending March 24, 2023, the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$380 mfbm, which is…

The latest US housing starts and new home sales data, for February 2023, demonstrates ongoing demand, however at a requisite slowdown from the frantic momentum of the previous two years. In particular single-family homebuilding and permits rebounded in February, indicating that demand for housing still exceeds supply, a reason for optimism about building and selling sooner…

By mid-March many regions across the continent faced yet another bought of bad weather. Meanwhile the densely-populated southern US states ramped up construction activity. Demand for lumber materials remained somewhat muted, yet suppliers booked enough sales to keep prices generally even from the previous week. Sawmills claimed to have extended order files out to two…

As more cold and snow descended yet again across North America, construction activity remained stalled thus lumber sales were similarly slow. Those purchases which were made were generally for just-in-time buying or immediate needs; almost no one was stocking up on inventory yet for this looming spring building season. For their part, sawmills could only…