While prices did not make much movement, the state of the north american
construction framing dimension softwood lumber market leading up to labour
day demonstrated a quiet strength.
As looming demand was improving, the expectation was that prices would
increase somewhat in coming weeks. The situation with severely depleted
inventories continued, meaning customers still had to search around widely
to source the particular mix of wood they needed.
Meanwhile, the usual seasonal constraints to transportation materialized,
particularly with trucking. As autumn comes on every year, other goods and
products take precedence in the supply chain over lumber. This combination
of lower supply
and lack of trucks made for increased urgency as buyers had to wait for the
wood they needed yesterday.
In the week ending September 04, 2026 the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir
2? #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$470 mfbm, which was down -$5, or -1% from the
previous week when it was $475, said weekly forest products industry price
guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was down -$20, or -4%, from one month ago when it was
$490.
Compared to the same week last year, when it was us$420 mfbm, the price of
western spruce-pine-fir 2? #2&btr kd (rl) for the week ending September 04,
2026 was up +$50, or +2%.
Compared to two years ago when it was $403, that week’s price was up +$72,
or +20%.
It was a wait-and-see week as confusing market machinations took a back seat
to Labour Day holiday plans.
KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• Lean field inventories continued to support an uneasy truce between supply
and demand.
• Players were adamant the market could turn on a dime if half-decent autumn
demand materializes.
• Significant variations appeared between US Western-SPF suppliers, regions,
and origin-destination pairings.
• In Canada, prices on key Western-SPF 2? dimension items wavered around
the previous week’s levels.
• According to Eastern-SPF suppliers, the Toronto region was a basket case
while the Great Lakes market was flat.
• Plenty of distributors in the NorthEast deeply discounted items to keep
unwanted stock moving.
• Prices of Southern Yellow Pine narrows continued to lead the way back up
after precipitously dropping during summer.
• On the US Eastern seaboard, inventory holders showed varying levels of
urgency to move material.
MADISON’S BENCHMARK TOP-SIX SOFTWOOD LUMBER AND PANEL PRICES: MONTHLY
AVERAGES
Source: madisonsreport.com
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