The North American softwood lumber market continued its inexorable slide downward toward year-end last week, with prices even further lowered over the week before, according to madisonsreport.com. Prices for Western softwood have plunged from over US$650 per thousand board feet in June to under US$400 as concerns mount about the US housing market.
As a response, sawmills in Canada have started announcing down-time and curtailments to moderate these falling prices and lessening demand as the year draws to a close. Interfor, for example, pans to cut production by 20% across its sawmills in BC interior, according to ft.com.
