Could Kimberly-Clark’s Discovery Be a Windfall for Woodworkers?
The giant paper company’s development of an alternative to wood for its products may mean lower prices for building materials.
In Canada, Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire
Wildfires are once again raging in Canada, impacting air quality but also lumber supplies for the North American market. The most immediate sign of the fires has been the effect on the atmosphere, creating smoke conditions in the northern United States. However, this year’s wildfires are once again destroying millions of acres of forest, a […]
Lumber Demand Remains Soft in May
New reports suggest the current conditions of limited inventories and last-minute ordering is continuing between the US and Canada. Madison’s Lumber Reporter wrote that Southern Yellow Pine East Side 2×4 prices were back down to where they had been in January and February. It added that Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 prices, often considered a benchmark, steadily […]
USMCA July Deadline Likely to be Missed
Adding to the uncertainties surrounding trade amongst the US, Mexico and Canada is the forecast that a new agreement is unlikely once the current one expires. The deadline for renewing the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement — the successor to the better-known NAFTA — is July 1, but Bloomberg reports that according to those close to the situation, […]
Lumber and Building Supplies Hit By Another Wave of Pricing Pressure
First it was inflation, then supply chain issues and then tariffs. Now the war in Iran is the latest external factor to hit material costs.
Are Lumber Prices Stabilizing as 2025 Approaches?
New data suggests that pricing for lumber will be more predictable giving builders more confidence in pricing. Madison’s Lumber Reporter, the well-regarded source for pricing information, is forecasting more stability going forward for lumber producers and end-users. “Given that the macroeconomic indicators and specific factors affecting the lumber industry last year are well known,” Keta […]
Lumber Prices Don’t Get Usual Spring Boost
As the building and construction sectors continue to struggle, reduced demand for lumber is depressing prices this year. In the spring a builder’s thoughts always turn to buying wood. But not so much this year. With both residential and commercial building not getting its usual bump in the spring season, lumber prices are at levels […]
The Canadian Forest Wildfires of 2023 Could Be Coming Back
They had a devastating impact on both air quality and lumber supplies last year and now they seem poised to return this summer. Depending on where you live in North America, out-of-control wildfires in a number of Canadian forests created serious air quality issues last year but for the lumber industry, it was the devastation […]