Tag: US

Paper Excellence acquires Domtar in blockbuster $3 billion deal to expand into US market

Paper Excellence, a global manufacturer of pulp and printing, writing, specialty, and packaging papers, has acquired Domtar, the largest integrated producer of uncoated free-sheet paper in North America, for $55.50 per share. The all-cash transaction represents an enterprise...

N. American lumber prices at record levels

To the astonishment of all, in the week ending Feb. 19, 2021, the price of benchmark softwood lumber commodity item Western S-P-F KD 2×4 #2&Btr climbed +$20, or +2%, to US$1,012 mfbm, from $992 the previous week. Last...

USDA: US exports 599,324 metric tons of wood pellets in January 2021

The U.S. exported 599,624.2 metric tons of wood pellets in January, up from both 564,826.2 metric tons in December and 500,904 metric tons in January 2020, according to data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service on March...

US hardwood plywood imports rose in 2020

Despite an 18% drop in December 2020, US imports of hardwood plywood ended 2020 up 6% in volume over the previous year. Imports from China were down 35% in 2020 while imports from Indonesia and Ecuador both increased...

US tropical sawnwood imports plunge in 2020

The volume of sawn tropical hardwood imported by the US fell by 34% in 2020 from 243,884 m³ in 2019 to 161,179 m³ in 2020. Imports rose 15% in December to 14,687 m³, the highest level since August,...

Rebound in N. American lumber prices

With February looming, lumber prices popped back up to recover a drop toward the end of January. In the week ending Jan. 29, 2021, the price of benchmark softwood lumber commodity item Western S-P-F KD 2×4 #2&Btr jumped...

Existing-home sales in US reach highest level in 14 years

Sales of previously owned homes in the US rose in 2020 to the highest level since 2006, as ultra-low interest rates and remote work during the pandemic increased homebuying demand. Existing-home sales rose 0.7% in December from November...

Russian Timber Journal 12-2020: Andrey Konoplev, General Director of Group Vologodskiye Lesopromyshlenniki, on the implications of the roundwood export ban being introduced from 2022 onwards; Luzales plans to build an MDF plant worth 5 billion rubles; the Ministry of Industry and Trade may introduce a temporary ban on the export of particleboards from Russia; analysis of the current situation in the particleboard, laminated particleboard, MDF market

Russian Timber Journal 12-2020: WhatWood interviewed Mr. Andrey Konoplev, General Director of Group Vologodskiye Lesopromyshlenniki, about the ban on the export of unprocessed timber to be introduced from 2022; Luzales agreed on the conditions for the construction of an MDF...

US wooden furniture imports surpass $2 billion in November 2020

Monthly US imports of wooden furniture surpassed $2 billion for the first time in November. Imports rose 4%, growing for the sixth straight month. Despite the record growth, year to November imports were down about 1% from last...

Metrie acquires Pacific MDF Products Inc. and Canadian MDF Products Company

Metrie, a North American manufacturer and distributor of interior millwork, has announced its acquisition of Pacific MDF Products Inc. and Canadian MDF Products Company, collectively known as Pac Trim, located in Rocklin, Calif., and Edmonton, AB, respectively. Metrie...

U.S. housing starts increased sharply in November 2020

U.S. homebuilding and permits increased solidly in November 2020, pointing to sustained housing market strength even as the broader economic recovery is slowing amid a resurgence in new COVID-19 cases and lack of additional government money. Housing starts...

Northwest Hardwoods files for bankruptcy

US’ hardwood timber giant Northwest Hardwoods has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 23rd, saying difficulties from trade disputes with China and the weak markets impacted by COVID-19 pandemic had stunted its ability to service more than $420...