Several producers improved results, while mill closures reduced Nordic lumber capacity and production.
Canfor
Higher lumber prices improved second-quarter operations, while weak pulp demand, elevated inventories and lower pricing increased losses and contributed to mill closures.
The closure will end production at the Fox Creek facility after weak lumber markets, U.S. softwood lumber duties and tariffs, wildfire-related fibre constraints, and the end of Alberta's mountain pine beetle strategy reduced the mill's long-term viability.
The Prince George facility will close in late Q4 2026 and directly affect approximately 300 employees.
The facility will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary and add 120 employees to Canfor’s operations.
The deal adds a plant with 46 million linear feet capacity and 120 employees.
Institutional investment, fast-growing Southern Yellow Pine and advanced sawmill technology are positioning the Southeast as a steady supplier for engineered structural products.
The closures will leave Vida operating 13 sawmills across central and southern Sweden.
Lumber pricing rises on tighter supply, but weak demand, duties, and disruptions cut shipments and keep both lumber and pulp operations under pressure.