Over the first six months of 2022, the U.S. total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 567,798. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 3.6% decline over the June 2021 level of 589,146.
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Canadian lumber production increased 7.2% from April 2022 to 4 649.5 thousand cubic metres in May. Production was down 5.3% from May 2021.
Just 42.8% of new and existing homes sold between the beginning of April and end of June were affordable to families earning the U.S. median income of $90,000. This is a sharp drop from the 56.9% of homes sold in the 1Q that were affordable to median-income earners.
Average price of softwood bleached kraft pulp rose 16%.
U.S. new single-family starts expanded at a fast pace in 2021. Nationally, 1,133,145 new single-family units were started in 2021, 14% higher than the units started in 2020. It marked the fastest growth rate since 2013 and the highest count of starts since the Great Recession.
Staying flat for two weeks, for the week ending July 29, 2022 the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$684 mfbm, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
The export volume jumped 38% to 832 thousand tons.
The U.S. is the main export market for Brazilian plywood.
U.S. sawmills have invested heavily to expand capacity since the trade cases were filed in 2016. According to U.S. Lumber Coalition, the domestic industry has produced an additional 15 billion board feet of lumber through 2021. This is enough lumber to build over 1 million single-family homes.
The export volume dipped 3.8% to 2,777.2 thousand m3.
For the week ending July 22, 2022 the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$684 mfbm, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter. This is up by +$20, or +3% from the previous week when it was $664, and is up by +$59, or +25%,...
The import volume surged 3.1% to 428.6 thousand m3.
The import volume jumped 50.8% to 361.6 thousand tonnes.
U.S. new single-family home sales declined in June due to rising mortgage rates and worsening affordability conditions. The median sales price dipped to $402,400 in June, down 9.5% compared to May, but up 7.4% compared to a year ago.
For the week ending July 15, 2022 the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$664 mfbm, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
The export volume declined 25% to 939 thousand m3.
The export volume decreased 15.3% to 1,744.5 thousand m3.
U.S. lumber prices have been on a roller-coaster ride over the past two years. However, despite higher lumber prices and ongoing supply-chain issues, wood framing remains the most dominant construction method for single-family homes in the U.S. in last year.
The import volume fell 36.8% to 2,976.0 thousand m3.
Supplies from Russia decreased 15%