U.S. hardwood mills starting to switch to softwood production

Domestic and international demand for U.S. hardwood continued to escalate in 2020, increased and peaked in 2021, but by mid-2022, the market was in trouble. Until 2023, the hardwood market price and demand is still quite sluggish. As the hardwood market declines, U.S. hardwood production factory production lines are struggling to maintain operations, and producers have to find new ways to make money to withstand production line losses. In the US South, a number of hardwood production plants have switched to producing alternative varieties. For example, the price of softwood southern pine continued to rise ...