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US Housing Starts: June 2018
Not very surprisingly, US housing starts corrected downward somewhat for June, as housing inventory for sale continues to shrink and home prices continue to rise. U.S. new-home groundbreaking and permits fell in June to the slowest paces in nine months, as higher mortgage rates and elevated costs for labor and materials pinch the housing market,…
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Lumber Prices Sharply Reverse Recent Increases, Inventories Grow
Both producers and secondaries now have more plump inventories than most of this year, making assessments of their own price lists somewhat easier. Buyers, well aware of this, are pushing back at sawmills with significant counter-offers. Those suppliers in a position to negotiate are accepting customer demands. Prices are responding toward accordingly. This week and…
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This week Madison’s Lumber Reporter printed down on benchmark softwood lumber prices by quite a bit . . .
Madison’s Lumber Reporter Published by Keta Kosman · 31 mins · This week Madison’s Lumber Reporter printed down on benchmark WSPF KD 2×4 #2&Btr #softwood #lumber prices by quite a bit. The most-often comment from sources was “prices tanking”. Now is the start of the annual seasonal curtailments in Quebec, and the forest fire ban…
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Conference Board of Canada: Economic Effects of Tariffs
Mentioned briefly in last week’s issue of your Madison’s Lumber Reporter, the Conference Board of Canada‘s latest Canadian Outlook Bulletin, released July 9, calls for the national economy to grow by +1.8 per cent in 2018–19 in the wake of a +3 per cent gain last year. “An easing pace of consumer spending, potential breakup…
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US Producer Price Index, Construction Materials: June 2018
Construction material prices in the US rose another +0.8% in June and are +9.6% higher than they were at the same time one year ago, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data release Wednesday. June represents the latest month associated with rapidly rising construction input prices. Nonresidential…
