Lumber Rebounds as Spring Approaches

2026-02-11 14:20 By Felipe Alarcon 1 min. read

Lumber futures held above $595 per thousand board feet, holding the rebound from a near four week low of $585.5 on February 6th as tightening supply met improving seasonal demand.

The market’s already thin supply cushion has narrowed further just as pre spring restocking and early signs of firmer construction activity lifted near term orders, leaving limited slack and amplifying even modest buying flows.

On the supply side, North American output has been constrained by mill curtailments and closures, fibre shortages in parts of British Columbia, and other production disruptions, alongside slower export flows linked to duties and shifting trade routes, all of which have reduced shipments into key consuming regions.

As a result, inventories and operating rates sit below typical seasonal levels, increasing the market’s sensitivity to incremental demand.

At the same time, some builders have resumed projects amid mortgage rate volatility and a slight easing in longer dated yields.



News Stream
Lumber Rebounds as Spring Approaches
Lumber futures held above $595 per thousand board feet, holding the rebound from a near four week low of $585.5 on February 6th as tightening supply met improving seasonal demand. The market’s already thin supply cushion has narrowed further just as pre spring restocking and early signs of firmer construction activity lifted near term orders, leaving limited slack and amplifying even modest buying flows. On the supply side, North American output has been constrained by mill curtailments and closures, fibre shortages in parts of British Columbia, and other production disruptions, alongside slower export flows linked to duties and shifting trade routes, all of which have reduced shipments into key consuming regions. As a result, inventories and operating rates sit below typical seasonal levels, increasing the market’s sensitivity to incremental demand. At the same time, some builders have resumed projects amid mortgage rate volatility and a slight easing in longer dated yields.
2026-02-11
Lumber Drops Near 4-Week Lows
Lumber futures slipped below $590 per thousand board feet, the lowest level in nearly four weeks, as housing demand weakened and earlier restocking momentum faded. Demand softened as financing costs edged higher and housing activity cooled, with US pending home sales plunging 9.3% month on month in December 2025, removing a key source of construction and renovation related wood consumption ahead of the spring building season. At the same time, mills continued running to rebuild inventories after the winter squeeze, increasing physical availability while distributors reported quieter order books. The combination of softer demand and rising availability encouraged position unwinds after January’s rally, with falling volumes and open interest amplifying the price decline.
2026-02-05
Lumber Retreats from 3-Month High
Lumber futures fell toward $590 per thousand board feet, retreating from its three-month high of $614.5 seen January 20th as US housing data weakened and earlier restocking flows faded. Pending home sales plunged 9.3% month on month in December, the sharpest drop since April 2020, signalling softer transaction activity and tempering expectations for near-term construction demand ahead of the spring building season. Physical markets also cooled, with distributors reporting quieter order books even as mills continued running at steady rates to rebuild inventories after earlier tightness, briefly loosening availability. The pullback was reinforced by profit-taking after the January rally, with falling volumes and open interest pointing to position unwinds rather than a fresh wave of bearish selling.
2026-01-23