The market continued to sputter into the new year, and prices eroded, with the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite falling under $200. Many traders noted that sales were slower this week than last, generating a stronger sense of pessimism amid already bleak outlooks. Traders at various levels worried about the dearth of orders throughout the pipeline. Cold weather bearing down on much of the U.S. was one more clamp among the many holding back consumption and the overall economy.

กก

กก

Panel market

Structural panel sales were lukewarm at best. Quiet trading left most OSB prices in a sideways drift. Producers finished the week quoting shipments for two weeks or sooner. Southern Pine plywood mills reported a mild pickup in sales. Some westside producers extended order files into the week of January 26 on key sheathing items, but order files beyond a few days were rare otherwise. In western Fir plywood, closure announcements and rumors generated some interest at midweek, mostly in sheathing, but mill efforts to raise prices proved mostly fruitless.

กก

กก