Aug 27, 2008. /Lesprom.com/. If the size of the loss is to be considered, Tembec's 3Q loss is much improved from results one year ago. The company slashed its loss to $27 million from $164 million in the corresponding 2007 quarter, a feat largely attributable to a 14.5% decline in sales, a recent report by the Canadian Press confirmed. Sales tumbled to $609 million, down substantially from $712, due to lower volumes in all four of the company's operating segments: lumber, pulp, paper and chemicals. Lumber witnessed the biggest fall, with a 31.6% decline in sales. The company's pulp division sales fell only 2.9%. Paper sales fell 12.5%, and chemicals were down 26.7%. "Overall, the June quarterly operating results were an improvement over the previous quarter, but remained well below acceptable levels," Canadian Press confirmed the company as saying.