At the start of April, Forest2Market's composite lumber prices reached the highest point of the year thus far at $434/MBF (Week 14). Prices steadily decreased in subsequent weeks, ending the month six percent lower at $407/MBF. Still, prices remain well above their levels of just one year ago.
Interfor Establishes Presence in Southern Yellow Pine Lumber Market
By Suz-Anne Kinney
International Forest Products Limited, also known as Interfor, has acquired four sawmills in Georgia as part of what President and CEO Duncan Davies called, "our strategy of adding capacity in attractive regional markets."
Where are pulp prices, and where are they headed? According to the Forestweb North American Pulp Index, which is published by Industry Intelligence, pulp prices fell below the five-year trend line in November 2011 and remain there today.
1Q2013 Biomass Prices Remain Steady Throughout Lake States
By Peter Coutu
Biomass prices in the Lake States remained relatively constant from Q4 2012 to Q1 2013, increasing only $0.44/green ton. The average delivered price per green ton reported during the fourth quarter of last year was $26.34. The first quarter of this year saw average prices move 1.7 percent higher to $26.78 per green ton. The increase in price can be attributed to seasonal factors including winter inventory building, road postings and uneven mill delivery schedules.
After surpassing the one million mark in March, housing starts fell by 16.5% in April. The drastic decline left starts at 853,000, the lowest number recorded since last November. Despite the lower numbers, housing starts remain well above the 711,000 mark of just one year ago.
The manufacturing sector remained in expansion in April for the fifth consecutive month, although it just crossed the line between expansion and contraction. The service sector grew for the 40th consecutive month.
In an effort to once-and-for-all define forest roads as non-point sources of pollution, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) introduced the Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act in their respective Houses late last week. The Act would add legal precedence to a recent Supreme Court decision and long-standing EPA policy that stormwater discharge permits are not required for forest roads.
Little hope remains for the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement. Resolute Forest Products and all ENGOs withdraw from negotiations following May 18, 2013, the date on which the initial term of the three-year agreement was set to expire.
