The framing lumber market did an about-face Wednesday as many mills opened the week anxious to move prompt loads, but finished boasting order files into late June or early July. Prices firmed and then gained, with some posting double-digit increases as mills raised quotes aggressively on Thursday. The Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price rose $7 to $304, a high for the year to date and the highest level since September 2006.







Panel market

Structural panel markets kicked into high gear. Sales of OSB accelerated as the week progressed, and prices in most regions finished with solid gains. Buyers showed more willingness to pay higher prices for shipments further out. Active trading allowed Southern Pine plywood mills to move steady volumes at or above last week's reported prices. Sales were fueled by buyers who purchased modest volumes, but replenished often. In western Fir plywood, steady sales in the field and the just-in-time purchasing of recent weeks left dealers and distributors chasing supply more fervently as the week progressed.