US lumber consumption up 13%

23 August 2012


Lumber consumption in the US was 13% higher in May compared to the same month last year, according to Wood Resource Quarterly.

The consumption total was also the highest May consumption figure since 2008.

Pine lumber prices have grown by almost 35% in 2012, while spruce-pine-fir prices in Canada are up by about 30%.
Finnish and Swedish sawmills increased exports by almost 10% in the first five months of 2012, compared to last year, but export prices in the second quarter were below average cmpared with the past three years.

China's imports of softwood lumber increased 27% in the second quarter, compared to the previous quarter.

Softwood sawlog prices have continued their downward trend for the fourth consecutive quarter.

The Global SAwlog Price Index fell to US$82.90/m3 in the second quarter, a reduction of 3.4% from the previous quarter and down 11.5% from a year ago.

Only in the western US and British Columbia have sawlog prices held up - a result of lumber exports to Asia and higher lumber demand in the US.