A recent headline from Metal Miner magazine declares, “U.S. Housing Starts Surge More Than +39% Year-Over-Year in February 2020,” while — describing the same data — Reuters says, “U.S. Housing Starts Fall Less Than Expected in February 2020.” Who to believe? Well, both.Housing starts in the US dropped -1.5% in February 2020, pulled down by a sharp decline in the construction of multifamily housing units, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.6 million units, the US Commerce Department and…

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Sawmill operators across Canada and the US chopped softwood lumber prices last week (03/30/20) by a wide margin in response to: wavering demand; both surpluses and shortages with supply (depending on who was being asked for which commodity); and, yet more transportation issues than the previous week. A two-tiered market was in full force, as stocking wholesalers, reloads, and secondary suppliers offered steep discounts on whatever inventory they considered surplus, even as supply became tight following producer curtailments all across…

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North American construction framing softwood lumber prices of most commodities (US$ per mfbm, net FOB sawmill) continued dropping last week amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. — Madison’s Lumber Reporter Weekly North America #Softwood #Lumber Prices: Movers and Shakers In week ending March 27, 2020, the price of benchmark softwood lumber commodity Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) were slashed $50, or -12%, from the previous week to US$356 mfbm. Last week’s price is $90, or -20%, less than it was…

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There were more questions than answers last week as US and Canadian softwood lumber demand remained high but stocking wholesalers and resellers struggled with issues around the need to quarantine and keep social distance for their staff. Sawmills and lumber producers were often occupied with customers who were trying to cancel, or even get refunds on, orders already made. The Canadian federal government as well as most US states deemed lumber and other construction material as “essential” — meaning these…

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Since autumn 2019 Madison’s embarked on the exciting task of adding a wide range of new North American softwood lumber and panel price coverage to our regular list of commodities. By January 2020 we were satisfied with the credibility and accuracy of the new price gathering. Shortly, within a few weeks, these new prices will be available along with all the prices currently accessed by Madison’s subscribers. To view the historical price sheet and softwood lumber commodity prices regularly covered by Madison’s Lumber Reporter until now, please…

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Since autumn 2019 Madison’s embarked on the exciting task of adding a wide range of new North American softwood lumber and panel price coverage to our regular list of commodities. By January 2020 we were satisfied with the credibility and accuracy of the new price gathering. Shortly, within a few weeks, these new prices will be available along with all the prices currently accessed by Madison’s subscribers. To view the price sheet and softwood lumber commodity prices regularly covered by Madison’s Lumber Reporter until now,…

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