Lumber Drops Below $530

2026-01-06 14:29 By Felipe Alarcon 1 min. read

Lumber futures slid below $530 per thousand board feet, testing the lowest levels since October 2024, as weak near-term demand collided with abundant and re-emerging supply.

Homebuilding activity remains subdued and mortgage borrowing costs are still elevated, restraining new starts and repair and remodel demand, while US housing starts have softened and 30-year mortgage rates entered January little changed near the mid-6% range.

At the same time structural supply pressures are returning, with several panel and OSB mills ramping up or preparing to add capacity and shifts in North American output seeing Canadian curtailments largely offset by higher production in the US South, keeping physical availability ample and capping any upside.

In the meantime, inventory and futures market activity increased over the holiday period, amplifying downside moves when buyers stayed sidelined after year-end and seasonal restocking remained muted.



News Stream
Lumber Hits 8-week High
Lumber increased to 598.00 USD/1000 board feet, the highest since April 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, Lumber gained 3.57%, and in the last 12 months, it increased 0.5%.
2026-06-03
Lumber Near Three-Month High
Lumber futures were near $609 per thousand board, the highest since March, as tight supply offset muted activity in the housing sector. The US lumber market remained in a tight supply backdrop as domestic production has not expanded fast enough to make up for the drop in Canadian imports following the tariffs on Canada. The latest data indicated that Canada still accounted for up to 30% of domestic supply. The US Commerce Department recently proposed reducing combined duties on Canadian lumber to 24.8% from 35.2%, but an additional 10% Section 232 tariff keeps the effective burden near 35%. On top of that, wildfires and production disruptions in Canada magnified an already tight availability of wood, as British Columbia recently introduced emergency measures to boost timber availability after wildfire and storm damage threatened output.
2026-05-20
Lumber Hits 5-week High
Lumber increased to 593.50 USD/1000 board feet, the highest since April 2026. Over the past 4 weeks, Lumber gained 1.38%, and in the last 12 months, it decreased 2%.
2026-05-15