Business Trends North America

Lake States Business Trends Consistent Demand And Balanced Orders Are Lake States’ Bright Spots Hardwood activity across the Lake States is steady, with sources reporting consistent demand. Most contacts said business is stable, supported by residential flooring demand and balanced order files. In Wisconsin, a source said activity in his area has been “pretty good,” […]

Northeast Business Trends Mixed Market Reviews And Concerns About Overseas Production Bloom In The Northeast While market reviews may be mixed, worry over production in Vietnam and the exportation of hardwood products to China and fuel costs is less mixed. Red and White Oak appear to be trending, in addition to Hickory despite the difficulty […]

Southeast Business Trends Labor Receives A Mixed Review On Stability While Fuel Prices Trouble All Despite all lumber representatives contacted for this article explaining the difficulties the market currently faces, they are still able to move product. Poplar is moving the best while concerns about export market competition rise. In Mississippi, while “everything seems to […]

West Coast Business Trends The West Coast Market Moves In A Positive Direction Hardwood activity along the West Coast remains measured, with sources reporting generally flat conditions accompanied by slight improvement in recent periods. While demand is not described as robust, most agree the market is moving in a more positive direction compared to earlier […]

Ontario Business Trends Profit Margins Tighten Amid Ongoing Conflict Spring was slow to arrive, with persistent cold and rainy weather throughout April when this article was written. Transportation challenges continued across the province as elevated fuel prices—driven in part by the ongoing conflict in Iran—kept pressure on freight costs. Both short- and long-haul transportation became […]

Quebec Business Trends Many Species Sell Well Despite Turmoil As winter seemed to drag on with no end in sight, businesses in certain areas of the province were getting anxious to replenish their inventories for stocks that were in short supply. Sales activity was positive for Soft Maple, Hickory and Cherry. White Oak is a […]

Lake States Business Trends Balance Despite Disruption Hardwood producers across the Lake States region describe current activity as stable, with core species moving at moderate but dependable levels. While weather created brief logistical disruptions earlier this year, overall demand across the region remains balanced. A Michigan supplier described activity in his area as solid following […]

Northeast Business Trends Bogged Down By Snow The snowstorm caused transportation issues for those with shipping needs in the Southeast. The market has been reported as flat and uneven due to the economy, demand, tariffs and weather-related delays. The market in Pennsylvania, according to a local lumber source, is “herky-jerky because we do business one […]

Southeast Business Trends Recovering From Southeastern Snowstorms And Mixed Market Reviews The Southeast finally dug themselves out of the ice but the impact on the market already occurred. From an inability to move products to shutting down operations all together, a variety of issues were voiced. Some sawmills have been reported as shut down permanently […]

West Coast Business Trends A Curious And Uneven West Coast Hardwood suppliers along the West Coast described a market that has opened the year on steady but restrained footing, with most reporting activity levels similar to late last year. While there is no sign of a sharp downturn, neither is there a strong surge in […]