Business Trends North America

Lake States Business Trends Transportation Costs Dampen Market Pace While Demand Appears Steady And Species Sensitive Suppliers in the Lake States region accounted for mixed but generally steady market conditions in recent weeks, with activity varying by species, market segment and geography. While orders continue to move, sources indicated that customers remain cautious as they […]

Northeast Business Trends Quiet Market Causing Slow Movement In The Northeast Hardwood markets across the Northeast are quiet and movement is slow, although some lumber contacts are seeing a slight increase in activity. The main concern, however, is the falling price of lumber. Red Oak remains a dominant best seller in the region, while one […]

Southeast Business Trends Steady Movement But No Increase In Demand In The Southeast There’s a steady slow-moving flow of hardwood activity across the Southeast. For some suppliers, this slower pace has been the ongoing norm for some time. For others, however, although steady, the lower demand combined with dropping lumber prices and difficulties with transportation […]

West Coast Business Trends Steady Best Describes West Coast Lumber Market Suppliers across the West Coast described hardwood markets as generally steady, though few reported significant momentum at the time of this writing. Most sources accounted for stable business activity with customers continuing to buy what they need while remaining cautious about future commitments. In […]

Ontario Business Trends “Steady” Is the Key Word For Lumber Market Business for the hardwood sector was quieter, as summer vacation is upon us, and people take time to step away for a moment to rest and recharge. With housing market conditions slightly lower than last year, many consumers are focusing on home renovations rather […]

Quebec Business Trends Red Oak, Hickory, Hard Maple Lead The Market The heavy rain conditions and thunderstorms at the time of this writing caused flooding and power outages in Montreal and regions in southern Quebec. Fire department crews and police assisted the city regarding these floods. Following the July two-week construction break, the hardwood sector […]

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 […]