General market comments/trends in the Appalachian Hardwoods region:
- Log supplies have increased mostly as a function of decreasing demand
- Sawmill production in our region has increased slightly since last month, but is falling off
- Good quality (“grade”) lumber supply is starting to exceed demand (except for white oak)
- Low quality (tie, pallet, cant, etc.) lumber demand continues to slow down
- Export markets have tailed off slightly, with Chinese markets throttling back a bit
Black cherry; domestic demand remains weak; Chinese demand has increased; stumpage prices have dropped slightly; lumber prices – 1.0%
Sugar maple; demand slowing due to seasonal heat; stumpage prices slightly down; lumber prices – 3.5%
Red oak; demand plateauing; stumpage prices steady; lumber prices – 2.0%
White ash; demand continues to slow; stumpage prices have dropped; lumber prices – 10.0%
Soft maple; demand leveling with supply; stumpage prices steady; lumber prices +0.5%
Perspective and % Changes are measured from May 13 2016 data
Data is a composite from two sources; % rounded to nearest 0.5%
Past articles mentioned the very important export markets we have for the high quality hardwood timber grown in our region. Below are two charts that show US Hardwood Lumber Exports from the period January 1 through March 31, 2016; the first chart shows the numbers by importing country, and the second show the numbers by species.
