Lumber Falls to One-Month Low
2026-08-03 16:38
By
Larissa Caser
1 min. read
Lumber prices fell below $600 per thousand board feet, reaching a one-month low as weaker US housing demand and heightened trade uncertainty weighed on the market.
US construction spending unexpectedly declined in June, with spending on lumber-intensive single-family housing falling 0.6% from the previous month and 3.3% from a year earlier, pointing to softer demand for construction timber.
Although Canadian softwood lumber was exempt from Washington's new 50% tariffs, it remains subject to existing duties of nearly 35%, continuing to pressure producers' margins.
The Forest Products Association of Canada said the trade measures dealt a further blow to the forestry sector, where mills are already operating below capacity following production curtailments and closures, including the Fox Creek mill.
Meanwhile, the US Lumber Coalition argued that Canada's excess production capacity continues to distort the market, while Ottawa has extended support measures for the industry.