North American Sawmill Capacity Utilization, Lumber Production: July 2018

US #softwood #lumber production dropped by -2.8 per cent in July compared to the month prior but grew +5.4 per cent from July 2017, according to statistics from the Western Wood Products Association’s Lumber Track. US lumber production totaled 2,905 million board feet (MMBF) in July.

For the first seven months of 2018, US production totaled 20,678 MMBF, edging +5.2 per cent higher than the same period in 2017.

For January to July 2018, US production in the West jumped another +7.1 per cent over previous gains the month before, while output in the South continued it’s increases, by +3.8 per cent.

Elsewhere, #softwood #lumber production in Canada fell by 1.3 per cent compared to the first seven months of 2018, said the Western Wood Products Association’s monthly Lumber Track Thursday, at 16,508 million board feet versus 16,724 million in January to July the previous year.

However, in British Columbia lumber production, fully half of the Canada total, fell by -3.4 per cent, to 7,461 million board feet, from 7,727 million the previous year, while that of Quebec and Alberta combined stayed almost flat at +0.5 per cent, to 9,047 million board feet this year compared to 8,998 million in 2017.

SOURCE: Western Wood Products Association wwwpa.org

Canada and US Sawmill Capacity Utilization Rates: July 2018

The Western Wood Products Association’s monthly Lumber Track, released Monday, puts Canadian lumber production as a percent of practical capacity for January to July 2018 down again, by -2% compared to the same time in 2017, at 89% from 91%.

In July 2018, Canadian #sawmill were operating at 84% of capacity, compared to 88% in June 2018 and 87% in July 2017.

In the US meanwhile, sawmill capacity utilization rates improved by +2%, to 87%, in the first seven months of 2018 compared to the same time the previous year. In July 2018, sawmills in the US operated at 87% of capacity, compared to 89% in June 2018 and 88% in July 2017, said the WWPA.