August 2025
Typical Seasonal Drop in Lumber Prices
The imminent softwood lumber duty hikes on Canadian shipments to the US frustrated and confused players.
June 2025
June 2025
Hot weather across many parts of the continent brought the usual slowdown in construction activity, as well as at manufacturing facilities. Workers fled both offices and industrial sites to enjoy some time off. Due to continuing weak inventories and generally diminished supply, lumber prices were mostly firm or slightly up. Sales volumes, however, were uninspiring.
There was, of course, much talk about the big spike in lumber duties which had been announced at the beginning of this year and have now come into effect. The response by Canadian suppliers of lumber to the US will be to diversify and start shipping even more wood offshore. At this point, with the duty constraint at the border so high, the previous disadvantage of high shipping costs to other continents is eliminated. Indeed, with the lumber duty THIS high, it is actually less expensive for Canadians to send wood into alternative markets.
In the week ending July 25, 2025, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$527 mfbm. This is up $27, or 5%, from the previous week when it was $500, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was up $59, or 13%, from one month ago when it was $468. For that same time period, the price of WSPF 2x4 #3/Utility was US$315 mfbm which was flat from the previous week. That week’s price is down $6, or 2%, from one month ago when it was $319.
Click table for expanded view.