Forest2Market Monthly News



September Poll

Housing starts have disappointed in recent months. What do you think is most affecting this metric?
_________________________________________
High costs of building materials
Lot and labor shortages
Natural decline in the current market cycle
Other factors
Results From August's Poll

New capital is actively flowing into the North American forest industry. What is the primary challenge your region faces in attracting new investment?
How Many Tons of Wood are on an Acre of Land?

By Nathan Thomas
“How many tons of wood are there on an acre of land?” Irrespective of location, it’s one of the most common questions foresters hear on an almost-daily basis, and it’s also one that’s difficult to properly define, as there is simply no absolute answer. Regardless of who’s asking, my go-to answer to this question as a consulting forester has always been, “It varies considerably.”

Proposed Chinese Tariffs: Potential impacts for the PNW Forest Industry

By Joel Swanton
On August 8, China's Commerce Ministry released a preliminary list of proposed tariffs on $16 billion in US goods, which came just a day after the U.S. Trade Representative's office released a finalized list of $16 billion in Chinese goods that will be hit with tariffs..

Have We Hit Peak Housing? US Housing Starts Disappoint in July

By John Greene
After falling to a nine-month low in June, US housing starts rebounded slightly and less than expected in July, suggesting the housing market will likely remain flat for the remainder of the year. Despite solid jobs numbers and wage growth, housing activity appears to have has stalled due to rising mortgage rates and an increasingly tight supply of homes that has driven prices ever higher.

Southern Yellow Pine Lumber Prices Rebound in July

By John Greene
As housing starts continued to slow in July, southern yellow pine (SYP) lumber prices followed suit before momentarily reversing course to stop a steady four-week slide. Forest2Market’s composite southern yellow pine lumber price for the week ending August 17 (Week 34) was $446/MBF, a 5 percent increase from the previous week’s price of $423/MBF. Year-over-year, week 34’s price represents an 18 percent increase from the same week in 2017.

North American Softwood Lumber Prices Continue to Drop

By Keta Kosman
Canadian sawmill operators have determined their current inventories and supply in the pipeline against the immediate needs of end-user customers in the US. The recent supply uncertainty and cries of “where is my wood?!” have been resolved and, with just a few interruptions, wood is flowing once again across North America.

US Forest Industry Performance: July 2018

By Joe Clark
After declining 0.5 percent (previously -0.1 percent) in May, total industrial production (IP) rose 0.6 percent in June (+3.8 percent YoY). For 2Q2018 as a whole, total IP advanced at an annualized rate of 6.0 percent, its third consecutive quarterly increase. Manufacturing output bounced back (+0.8 percent) in June, thanks mainly to a truck parts supplier resuming production after an earlier fire. Factory output, aside from motor vehicles and parts, increased 0.3 percent.

Is it Time to Invest in Argentina’s Forests?

By Marcelo Schmid
While 70 percent of South America's forestry investment is concentrated in Brazil, the continent is also home to other locations with great potential that are currently being explored by forestry and industrial investors. In some cases, such as Chile and Uruguay, these markets are already competitive (and consolidated). In other areas, markets are prospective and developing. In these markets, a level of uncertainty affects the country's ability to attract a larger amount of investment; Argentina is one of these countries.