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Canada Federal Government Lumber Trade Update
Read more: Canada Federal Government Lumber Trade UpdateAttendees this week at the BC Council of Forest Industries AGM in downtown Vancouver, BC, got an excellent update on Canada-US softwood lumber trade issues from Assistant Deputy Minister at Global Affairs Canada, Kirsten Hillman, and BC Lumber Trade Envoy David Emerson. Robust ongoing demand and looming potentially-retroactive duties on softwood lumber later this month…
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US Apartment Vacancy Rate: 1Q 2017
Read more: US Apartment Vacancy Rate: 1Q 2017Reis reported Friday that the US apartment vacancy rate was at 4.3 per cent in Q1 2017, up from 4.2 per cent in 4Q 2016, and unchanged from 4.3 per cent in 1Q 2016. The vacancy rate peaked at 8 per cent at the end of 2009. From Reis: Effective Apartment Rents Decline in 23…
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US Real House Prices, Price-to-Rent Ratio: Jan 2017
Read more: US Real House Prices, Price-to-Rent Ratio: Jan 2017The Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index rose at a seasonally adjusted annual growth rate of 7.9 per cent, slower than the 9.2 per cent increase in December, according to the S&P Dow Jones Indices Tuesday. In real terms, and as a price-to-rent ratio, [US house] prices are back to late 2003 / early 2004…
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Softwood Lumber Negotiations Update and NAFTA
Read more: Softwood Lumber Negotiations Update and NAFTAThe latest movement from the new US Administration on trade issues is this week bringing forward NAFTA discussions to the US Congress. Of most interest to the Canadian and US softwood lumber industry, a component of the Administration’s letter appears related to the softwood lumber dispute with Canada. The draft calls for eliminating a provision…
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Canada Rail Transportation 2015, Railway Carloadings: January 2017
Read more: Canada Rail Transportation 2015, Railway Carloadings: January 2017Operating revenue for the Canadian railway industry edged up 0.6 per cent from 2014 to $14.4 billion in 2015, said Statistics Canada Friday. Freight transportation revenue, which accounted for 91.2 per cent of total revenue, was up 0.3 per cent to $13.1 billion. In 2015, operating expenses fell 5.3 per cent to $10.0 billion. Meanwhile,…
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Pending Home Sales, US: January 2017
Read more: Pending Home Sales, US: January 2017US Pending Home Sales improved 5.5 per cent in February 2017 to its highest level since April 2016, and the second highest since May 2006, said the US National Association of Realtors Wednesday. US Pending and Existing Home Sales: January 2017 The US Pending Home Sales Index increased 5.5 per cent in February 2017 to…
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Madison’s Wood Pellet Report
Read more: Madison’s Wood Pellet ReportThe brand-*new* monthly Madison’s Wood Pellet Report covers North America energy wood pellet manufacturing, distribution, and sales/export. Don’t miss out on what you need to plan operational strategy for RESIDUALS from your sawmill or other wood processing facility in Canada and the USA.Sign up today…take advantage of the big discount for our introductory sale .…
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US Housing Inventory: 1Q 2017
Read more: US Housing Inventory: 1Q 2017The US housing market has again moved toward greater disconnect between supply and demand, according to a Trulia report released Thursday. US home inventory has tumbled to a new low after the eighth straight quarter of decline as supply can not keep up with demand. The drop in availability is being felt most acutely by…
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US House Prices, Sales: January and February 2017
Read more: US House Prices, Sales: January and February 2017House prices in the United States remained flat in January, the first time in more than three years that they have not climbed, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency monthly House Price Index Friday. As well, new US single-family home sales jumped to a seven-month high in February, suggesting the housing market recovery was…
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US Condominium Absorptions: 3Q 2016
Read more: US Condominium Absorptions: 3Q 2016In 3Q 2016, condominium completions in the US rose considerably to 6,100, which is 2,800 units more than 2Q 2016 and 1,800 higher than completions in 3Q 2015, said the US Census Bureau, in collaboration with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development Tuesday. The condominium absorption rate also posted an increase to 74…
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Softwood Lumber and NAFTA
Read more: Softwood Lumber and NAFTAIt’s looking increasingly like NAFTA is not going to get just “tweaked”, according to the latest meetings of new USTR appointee Robert Lighthizer, who formerly worked for Ronald Reagan. Lighthizer told his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that softwood is “at the top of the list,” said the Globe and Mail March 14. He said he…
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Madison’s Wood Pellet Report *new*
Read more: Madison’s Wood Pellet Report *new*The brand-*new* monthly Madison’s Wood Pellet Report covers North America energy wood pellet manufacturing, distribution, and sales/export. Don’t miss out on what you need to plan operational strategy for RESIDUALS from your sawmill or other wood processing facility in Canada and the USA.Sign up today…take advantage of the big discount for our introductory sale .…
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US Construction Spending: January 2017
Read more: US Construction Spending: January 2017Private residential construction in the US got off to an auspicious start in 2017, continuing the growth trend that began in October of last year. NAHB analysis of Census Construction Spending data, released March 1, shows that total private residential construction spending grew 0.5 per cent in January 2017 to a seasonally adjusted annual rate…
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Building Materials Price Index: February 2017
Read more: Building Materials Price Index: February 2017The prices of softwood lumber, gypsum, ready-mix concrete, and OSB all increased in February, according to the latest Producer Price Index release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, out Tuesday. The increases were led by gypsum products, with softwood lumber a close second. After decreasing in four of five months, the price of softwood lumber…
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North America Full-Year 2016 Lumber Production: WWPA
Read more: North America Full-Year 2016 Lumber Production: WWPAThe latest issue of the Western Wood Products Association’s monthly Lumber Track shows steady improvement in Canadian and US sawmill capacity utilization rates and softwood lumber production volumes. Softwood lumber production by US sawmills reached 32.772 billion board feet (bbf) in full year 2016, a gain of 3.4 per cent from 31.643 bbf in the…
