U.S. sawmills produced 14.752 billion board ft. (bbf) of softwood lumber in the first five months of 2018, a 5.9% increase from output of 13.937 bbf in the same period last year.
Western U.S. sawmills accounted for 6.180 bbf to the five-month total, up 8.9% from 5.677 bbf a year earlier, while output at southern U.S. sawmills was up 3.6% to 7.876 bbf from 7.600 bbf, , the Western Wood Products Assn. reported in its latest Lumber Track report.
In May alone, production by U.S. sawmills was 3.173 bbf, up 7.3% year-over-year from 2.957 bbf, and up 5.3% from 3.014 bbf in April 2018.
Western U.S. sawmills contributed 1.281 bbf to May’s production volume, up 4.9% from 1.222 bbf in the previous year, and up 3.7% from 1.236 bbf in the month before.
Southern U.S. sawmills produced 1.742 bbf towards the monthly total, a 9.2% year-over-year gain from 1.595 bbf, and up 6.5% from 1.636 bbf in April 2018.
Apparent U.S. softwood lumber consumption was 20.125 bbf in the first five months, an increase of 1.1% from 19.909 bbf in the same period last year. In May, consumption was 4.444 bbf, up 8.4% from 4.100 bbf in May 2017, and 6.5% higher than consumption in April 2018 of 4.173 bbf.
Canadian softwood lumber production/consumption
In the first five months, Canadian sawmills produced 12.014 bbf of softwood lumber, a drop of 1.4% from 12.182 bbf in the same period last year. British Columbia producers contributed 5,360 bbf to the five-month total, down 4.5% year-over-year from 5.611 bbf, while sawmills east of the Rockies produced 6.654 bbf, an increase of 1.3% from 6.571 bbf a year ago.
Canadian production volumes in May were 2.481 bbf, a 2.0% year-over-year decline from 2.531 bbf in May 2017, but up 0.9% from 2.459 bbf in the previous month.
British Columbia’s softwood lumber producers contributed 1.100 bbf to May’s volume, down 5.1% from 1.160 bbf in May 2017, and 2.0% lower than output in April 2018 of 1.123 bbf. Sawmills east of the Rockies in May produced 1.380 bbf, a slight 0.7% increase from 1.371 bbf in May last year, and up 3.3% from the 1.337 bbf produced in the month before.
Apparent Canadian softwood lumber consumption for the first five months of this year surged 15.1% to 4.532 bbf from 3.936 bbf last year. In May alone, Canadian consumption was 973 million board ft. (mmbf), up 2.7% from 947 mmbf in May 2017, and 4.1% higher than the previous month’s apparent consumption of 935 mmbf.
U.S. and Canada utilization/inventories
U.S. production as a percentage of practical capacity averaged 86% in the first five months of 2018, up from 84% last year, while Canada’s average was 90%, down from 93% in the first five months of 2017.
U.S. inventories for the year to May 31 advanced 1.7% to 2.948 bbf from 2.899 bbf a year earlier, while Canadian inventories gained 12.6%, rising to 3.593 bbf from 3.191 bbf.
Leave a Reply