Softwood lumber production by U.S. sawmills in 2018 was 34.873 billion board ft. (bbf), up 3.3% from output in full-year 2017 of 33.775 bbf.
In 2018, Western U.S. sawmills accounted for 14.463 bbf of U.S. production, a 4.4% increase from 13.857 bbf in 2017, while sawmills in the Southern U.S. contributed 18.769 bbf - up 2.5% from 18.318 bbf in the year before, according to the latest Lumber Track report from the Western Wood Products Assn. (WWPA) in Portland, Oregon.
In the month of December 2018 alone, softwood lumber production was 2,413 bbf, a drop of 2.7% from output in December 2017 of 2.480 bbf, and down 9.9% from 2.679 bbf in November 2018.
Of December’s production volume, Western sawmills contributed 1.031 bbf – down 1.0% year-over-year from 1.042 bbf, and down 6.8% from the previous month’s 1.106 bbf.
Sawmills in the South produced 1.269 bbf in December, a drop of 3.9% from 1.321 bbf in December 2017, and down 12.3% from the 1.447 bbf produced in November 2018.
Apparent U.S. softwood lumber consumption in 2018 was 48.268 bbf, up 1.5% from 47.565 bbf in 2017. In December, consumption was 3.420 bbf – down 4.9% year-over-year from 3.595 bbf, and down 8.9% from 3.754 bbf in November 2018.
Canadian softwood lumber production/consumption
Canadian sawmills produced 27.436 bbf of softwood lumber in 2018, a 3.2% decline from output of 28.334 bbf in the previous year, WWPA reported.
Sawmills in British Columbia accounted for 12.240 bbf of Canadian production in 2018, a 5.5% drop from 12.950 bbf in 2017. Sawmills East of the Rockies produced 15.196 bbf, down 1.2% from 15.384 bbf a year earlier.
In December 2018, Canadian sawmills produced 1.791 bbf – down 10.8% year-over-year from 2.008 bbf, and 18.5% lower than output in November 2018 of 2.197 bbf.
Sawmills in British Columbia contributed 753 million board ft. (mmbf) to December’s production volume, a year-over year drop of 18.5% from 924 mmbf, and down 19.0% from November’s output of 930 mmbf. Sawmills East of the Rockies produced 1.038 bbf in December, down 4.2% from 1.084 bbf in December 2017, and down 18.1% from 1.267 bbf in November 2018.
Apparent Canadian softwood lumber consumption edged 1.4% higher to 10.011 bbf in 2018 from 9.868 bbf in 2017. In December alone, consumption dropped sharply to 423 mmbf, down 27.5% from 583 mmbf a year earlier and down 49.3% from 833 mmbf in November.
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