-
Canada Building Permits: February 2017
Canadian municipalities issued $7.5 billion worth of building permits in February, down 2.5 per cent from January, said Statistics Canada Thursday. Ontario and Alberta led the five provinces that reported declines in February. The national decrease was mainly the result of lower construction intentions for single-family dwellings and institutional structures. The value of residential building…
-
Japan Housing Starts: February 2017
Total housing starts in Japan were 70,912 units in February, down 7.3 per cent compared to last month and down by 2.6 per cent compared to February 2016, according to Japan Lumber Reports Friday. New rental units increased for ten consecutive months but new units for sale dropped sharply after a decline in condominium building.…
-
Canada Federal Government Lumber Trade Update
Attendees 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…
-
US Apartment Vacancy Rate: 1Q 2017
Reis 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…
-
Softwood Lumber Negotiations Update and NAFTA
The 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…
