Compared to one-year-ago, for the first five months of 2020 softwood lumber production in the US was almost flat, says the latest issue of the Western Wood Products Association’s monthly Lumber Track. For January to May 2020 US lumber production volume increased by just +0.7% to 14,825 mfbm compared to the first five months of…

Here is a SNEAK PEAK at tomorrow’s print benchmark Western Spruce-Pine-Fir (WSPF) softwood lumber prices: “Softwood lumber prices are just soaring up again with no end in sight according to all suppliers.” — Madison’s Lumber Reporter Surpassing any previous levels, the wholesaler price of benchmark construction framing dimension softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir KD 2×4…

North American softwood lumber manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, buyers, and end-users alike agree that this current supply-demand situation, and resulting steep price increases week-after-week, is truly unknown territory. Sawmills across Canada and the US are either running at full capacity or working to ramp-up production after the new social-distancing rules from the Covid-19 restrictions were put…

Key comment: “Softwood lumber prices climbed yet again as frustration and urgency among buyers reached a fever pitch.” MADISON’S SOFTWOOD LUMBER MARKET WEEKLY COMMENT Prices updated August 11, 2020 (CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE)

Canada and US Railcar Loadings The US Association of American Railroads (AAR) Wednesday reported US rail traffic for the week ending August 1, 2020, as well as volumes for July 2020. Specifically lumber & wood products were up 258 carloads, or +1.6%.Combined US carload and intermodal originations in July 2020 were 2,337,977, down -9%, or…

Here is a SNEAK PEAK at benchmark Western Spruce-Pine-Fir (WSPF) prices: By far eclipsing recent and historical highs, the wholesaler price of benchmark construction framing dimension softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir KD 2×4 #2&Btr for the week ending Aug 7, 2020, was US$666 mfbm (net FOB sawmill), an increase of +$46, or +7%, from last…

Construction spending in the US decreased -0.7% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of US$1.355 trillion in June of 2020, following a downwardly revised -1.7% fall in May said the US Commerce Dept Monday. Spending on private construction projects slipped -0.7%. Spending on residential projects fell -1.5%, offsetting a +0.2% gain…

At a time when end-users have usually received delivery for expected building needs until after September, demand for North American construction framing dimension Softwood Lumber remained strong last week. Already with order files into the end of September, sawmills quoted higher on prices for product that was nowhere near a production date. Customer inventories were…

MADISON’S SOFTWOOD LUMBER MARKET WEEKLY COMMENT: Key comment: “Softwood lumber sales roared back to life last week as lumber prices reached truly dizzying heights.” Prices updated August 4, 2020 (CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE) #softwood #lumber #sawmill #wood #forest #forestry #building #construction #housing #UShousing

Biofuel Boilers Increase Greenhouse Efficiency A small organic greenhouse operation in Prince Edward Island is leading the charge to show how biofuel boilers can make greenhouse food production more efficient and less carbon-intensive. Atlantic Grown Organics was using four boilers to heat their four acre greenhouse, burning by-products from a local oilseed processing plant in…

Madison’s North America Lumber and Sawmill Update: June 2020 Lumber Price Increases The vast majority of logs sold, in British Columbia and elsewhere, go to the sawmilling industry for lumber production. With this year’s lockdown due to COVID19 then ramp-up of manufacturing, lumber prices swooned down drastically in spring and are now surging back up…

Further to these updates earlier in the season by Madison’s, on June 6, “Wood Panel Prices Will Provide Indication of Remaining Summer Lumber Demand” and June 24, “Plywood Prices’ Major Surge While Most Softwood Lumber Prices Moderate,” once again last week the movement of plywood prices, slightly down, let’s us know what will likely happen…