Buyers retreated to the sidelines as framing
lumber prices sagged amid lighter sales across
the distribution system. Caution was fueled by a
perception that production was outpacing sales,
the approach of month-end, bad weather in parts
of the South and Midwest, and weakness in
futures. A sense that mills were in weaker
positions to stem the price slide compared to
earlier summer bouts of softness also
contributed to buyer caution. The Random Lengths
Framing Lumber Composite Price fell $6.
| This Week Aug 26 |
Last Week Aug 19 |
Year Ago 2015 |
|
| Random Lengths Framing Lumber Composite Price* | $362 | $368 | $319 |
| KD Western S-P-F #2&Btr 2x4 R/L Mill Price | 316 | 329 | 268 |
| KD Eastern S-P-F #1&2 2x4 R/L, delivered Great Lakes | 429 | 431 | 375 |
| Green Douglas Fir Std&Btr 2x4 R/L (Portland) | 335 | 345 | 320 |
| Southern Pine (Westside) #2 2x4 R/L | 420 | 426 | 325 |
| KD Coast Hem-Fir #2&Btr 2x4 R/L | 330 | 335 | 315 |
| Ponderosa Pine (Inland) #2&Btr 1x12 R/L | 695 | 700 | 665 |
| * Weighted average of 15 key items | |||
Random Lengths Panel Market Report
Price trends were mixed in structural panel markets. Western Fir
plywood enjoyed a brisk pace of sales, and prices were on the rise.
Buyers who had been waiting for prices to fall couldn’t wait any
longer and bulked up thin inventories. In Southern Pine plywood,
prices of sheathing were mostly static. Producers kept their focus
on extending order files. Sales of OSB were modest in most producing
zones, and prices eroded. One exception was Western Canada, where
most traders sensed a bottom had formed.
(f.o.b. mill prices)
| (f.o.b. mill prices) | This Week Aug 26 |
Last Week Aug 19 |
Year Ago 2015 |
| Random Lengths Structural Panel Composite Price* | $390 | $392 | $354 |
| Southern (west-east) 15/32-inch 3-ply rated sheathing plywood | 367-387 | 367-387 | 378-415 |
| Southern (west-east) 15/32-inch 4-ply rated sheathing plywood | 370-390 | 367-387 | 383-417 |
| Western 1/2-inch 4-ply rated sheathing plywood | 415 | 405 | 409 |
| North Central 7/16-inch Oriented Strand Board | 300 | 305 | 205 |
| *Weighted average of 11 key items | |||
