US price constant at a low level

Article by Günther Jauk (translated by Eva Guzely) | 24.05.2023 - 09:03

In the second week of May, the US softwood lumber price remained unchanged at US-$360/1,000 bft. The Lumber Futures for July, however, are traded at around US-$700/1,000 bft, which gives the sector hope for a recovery.

In week 19, the US softwood lumber price remained unchanged at US-$360/1,000 bft (2-by-4, Western SPF, KD, #2 & better) according to Madison’s Lumber Reporter. Due to a slight change in the currency exchange rate (US-$1.09/€), European suppliers recorded an increase of €3/m³, which brought the price to €213/m³ (actual size, free Great Lakes region).

This means that the 2-by-4 price remains well below the ten-year average price of €302/m³ (2013 to 2022).

The Lumber Futures for July paint an entirely different picture. As was the case in the week before, the Lumber Futures were traded at around US-$700/1,000 bft in week 19. Assuming the same currency exchange rate as now, that would be €411/m³ (actual size, free Great Lakes region).