Lumber Prices Fall Amid Housing Market Struggles

2025-09-22 10:44 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

Lumber futures traded at $570 per thousand board feet, easing from a near three-year high of $698.5 reached in early August, as concerns over weakening demand persisted amid ongoing strains in the US housing market.

Builders are scaling back new construction amid a recent inventory glut and growing economic uncertainty, following the Trump administration’s fluctuating stance on tariffs for imported lumber over the past few months.

Meanwhile, a significant gap remains between the number of homes for sale and the demand from Americans seeking housing.

Affordability challenges have caused many buyers to withdraw in recent months, keeping construction activity muted throughout 2025.

However, recent cuts in US interest rates, along with prospects of further easing, have helped curb some of the losses.

Without a substantial increase in new home demand, the subdued pace of construction is likely to persist, as builders continue to compete with the steadily growing inventory of existing homes.



News Stream
Lumber Futures Remain Below $600
Lumber futures have been trading below $600 per thousand board feet since early April, as weaker consumer sentiment and uncertainty surrounding developments in the Middle East weigh on demand. At the same time, supply constraints in several regions have partially offset the decline in demand. Profitability for Canadian mills remains under pressure from elevated duties and tariffs. The US has recently outlined preliminary antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber, with the antidumping rate reduced from 20.6% to 10.7% and the countervailing duty trimmed from 14.6% to 14.2%, bringing the combined rate to about 25.9%. Including an existing 10% Section 232 tariff, total effective duties on Canadian imports are expected to remain near 35.9% once they take effect in August. Despite these measures aimed at supporting domestic producers, US sawmill utilisation remains relatively weak at around 64%, with capacity use trending lower since 2017.
2026-05-05
Lumber Hits 7-week Low
Lumber decreased to 561.00 USD/1000 board feet, the lowest since March 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, Lumber lost 5.45%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 1.52%.
2026-04-28
Lumber Futures Fall to 7-Week Low
Lumber futures fell to $564 per thousand board feet, the lowest in seven weeks, as broader uncertainty and ongoing trade tensions weigh on sentiment. The US has recently outlined preliminary antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber, with the antidumping rate reduced from 20.6% to 10.7% and the countervailing duty trimmed from 14.6% to 14.2%, lowering the combined rate to about 25.9%. Including an existing 10% Section 232 tariff, total effective duties on Canadian imports are expected to remain near 35.9% once they take effect in August. Despite these measures aimed at supporting domestic producers, US sawmill utilization remains relatively weak at around 64%, with capacity use trending lower since 2017, pointing to limited supply response. At the same time, elevated construction costs and high interest rates are continuing to pressure housing activity, with US builder confidence slipping to its lowest level since September 2025.
2026-04-28