Business Trends North America

Lake States Sources Remain Hopeful For Uptick In Fall Hardwood suppliers throughout the Lake States region reported mixed market conditions recently, with activity ranging from steady to “lukewarm.” While certain species continue to perform well, contacts said seasonal slowing, higher fuel costs and uncertainty in some end-use markets are keeping overall activity in check. An […]

Northeast Business Trends Northeasterners Navigate ‘Mixed-Bag’ Market The hardwood lumber market in the Northeast is a mixed bag, according to several sources who are each experiencing varying fluctuations in movement. Some sources are seeing steady movement while others say the market is flat or borderline slow. Another contact is remaining positive despite facing several challenges. […]

Market Receives Mixed Reviews In The Southeast The Southeastern hardwood lumber market is receiving mixed reviews from sources across the region. While some are seeing a decrease in demand, others report that the market is steady and lumber products are moving but prices are down. The exporting side of the industry is not as much […]

West Coast Business Trends West Coast Sources Adopt Wait-And-See Attitude Hardwood suppliers on the West Coast reported generally slower market conditions recently, with economic uncertainty, higher interest rates, tariffs and sharply increased transportation costs weighing on activity. Still, contacts noted pockets of demand and expressed varying degrees of optimism heading into the fall. In California, […]

Ontario Business Trends Ontario Faces Headwinds, Yet Some Lumber Species Stay Steady The summer period persisted with its many challenges, weather-wise with some excess rain in certain areas, high temperatures which did nothing to help the forest fires that raged across the country. The announcement in mid-July that the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) agreement will not be […]

Quebec Business Trends Quebec Braces For More Tariff Turmoil As Important Lumber Species Reported As Sluggish (Editor’s Note: At press time, Canada responded to President Trump’s Aug. 22 imposition of 50 percent new tariffs by announcing retaliatory tariffs, also up to 50 percent on many U.S. products. These tariffs appear to target roughly the same […]

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 […]