-
2 weeks ago | 
hbsdealer.com | Kéta Kosman
Skip to main content As April waned and talk of potential tariffs on Canadian lumber entering the U.S. faded, prices of North American construction framing dimension softwood lumber settled down to proper levels given existing supply-demand conditions. The fact that demand remained quite soft, particularly for the time of year when new home building normally would be increasing, was lost on no one.
-
1 month ago | 
woodbusiness.ca | Kéta Kosman
Wednesday’s tariff announcement appeared to exempt most Canadian goods; lumber included. Inventory holders were itching to get their wares flowing for the spring construction season but were increasingly relegated to inventory management while uncertainty continued to paralyze the market. In the week ending April 4, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$545 mfbm.
-
1 month ago | 
woodbusiness.ca | Kéta Kosman
Uncertainty continued to plague lumber trading as April 2 approached. Several players mentioned that the market’s current state of confusion and frustration reminded them eerily of the beginning of COVID. In the week ending March 21, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$535 mfbm. This is down -$15, or -3%,from the previous week when it was $550, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
-
1 month ago | 
hbsdealer.com | Kéta Kosman
Skip to main content March waned with the usual seasonal increase in lumber buying and indeed construction activity. At the same time, transportation issues loomed at a normal time of year. Lumber industry players reported shortages of trucks, as well as long delays at hubs and at border crossings. Players voiced their frustration with the ongoing uncertainty about tariffs, if that would apply to lumber, saying that the final announcement could not come soon enough.
-
1 month ago | 
woodbusiness.ca | Kéta Kosman
Commodity prices to shipping timelines to overall supply were hard to pin down. Many experienced players hadn’t seen lumber market conditions like this in careers spanning multiple decades. In the week ending March 14, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$550 mfbm. This is up +$15, or +3%,from the previous week when it was $535, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
-
1 month ago | 
woodbusiness.ca | Kéta Kosman
Commodity prices were all over the map as tariffs came on then were quickly removed, and kicked back down the road to April 2. In the week ending March 07, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$535 mfbm. This is up +$10, or +2%,from the previous week when it was $525, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter, Madison’s Lumber Reporter. That week’s price is up +$53, or +11%, from one month ago when it was $483.
-
2 months ago | 
woodbusiness.ca | Kéta Kosman
Exasperated players hoped for some much-needed clarity as confusion surrounding tariffs kept the market quiet but on edge. In the week ending February 28, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$525 mfbm. This is up +$40, or +8%,from the previous week when it was $485, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter. That week’s price is up +$180, or +9%, from one month ago when it was $445.
-
2 months ago | 
woodbusiness.ca | Kéta Kosman
Cold weather, looming tariffs, and holiday Mondays on both sides of the border kept the North American lumber market quiet. In the week ending February 21, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$485 mfbm. This is up +$10, or +2%,from the previous week when it was $475, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter. That week’s price is up +$40, or +9%, from one month ago when it was $445.
-
2 months ago | 
hbsdealer.com | Kéta Kosman
February drew to a close with the usual seasonal increase in lumber sales as spring building was just around the corner. This year, however, suppliers and customers alike expressed great frustration at the lack of clarity regarding whether or not a tariff would be put on Canadian wood exports into the US; if so, when, and at what rate. While benchmark softwood lumber 2x4 prices popped up in mid-February, the price trend line for the past two years has been very stable.
-
2 months ago | 
woodbusiness.ca | Kéta Kosman
A less eventful digestion week was welcomed by many players. The biggest question mark heading into spring building season – putting aside tariffs – was seemingly endemic low overall supply. In the week ending February 14, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$475 mfbm. This is up +$30, or +7%,from the previous week when it was $445, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter, Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
