Wood Industry News from United States

The cuts take effect on January 2 at the mill West Fraser said last week it would idle indefinitely because of weak demand for wood products.

A U.S. tariff on Canadian paperboard idled the Temiscaming site in October, and the company pushed the conclusion of its strategic review to the first quarter of 2027.

The two-year project at the uncoated recycled paperboard mill in Virginia starts in early 2027 and keeps output at about 120,000 tons a year during construction.

Forty-three forestry associations say higher diesel prices add more than $920 million a year to the cost of hauling U.S. timber. A second coalition of 46 groups led by forest landowners made the same request a day later.

The cut applies only to the rates from the 2017 investigation that started the duties. The largest producers already pay rates set in annual reviews, so their payments do not change, while exporters never reviewed will pay 12.80% instead of 14.19%.

Net orders dropped in the first nine months, and the company now expects 4,600 to 4,800 home closings in 2026.

Net sales were flat at $2.19 billion as volumes rose 1% and prices slipped 1%. The paperboard packaging maker expects full-year adjusted EBITDA of about $1.05 billion and a return to EBITDA growth in 2027.

A judge halted the Forest Service relocation plan in mid-October in a lawsuit by federal employee unions. USDA has appealed and says the stay leaves 25 fire management posts and 10 avalanche center lead jobs unfilled.

Year to date, wood products shipments were up 0.4% and paper products shipments up 2.0%, against a 7.5% gain for all manufacturing.

Siding sales grew 7% to $473 million as volumes returned to growth, while the OSB segment posted another loss.

Construction openings were up 44.7% from a year earlier, against a 4.9% rise for all nonfarm industries.

Holders of more than 87% of the senior notes and a majority of shareholders back the plan, which cuts about $96 million of annual interest and brings in $400 million of new money. Existing shareholders will keep about 8.5% of the new common stock.

Plywood average net selling prices rose 31% from a year earlier.

Japan remained the largest buyer as its share rose 21 pp, while Chinese purchases fell 66.7%.

The ISM Manufacturing PMI rose to 55.5% from 54.5% in September.

Single-family construction was 2.4% below a year earlier.

Canadian sawmill output, U.S. factory and jobs data, and Brazil's trade balance are also scheduled.

The week ended close to where it began, after a swing in both directions.

Vietnam stayed the largest supplier as its share shrank 6.8 pp, while Australian shipments jumped 33%.

The maker of connectors for wood construction raised the low end of its 2026 margin forecast and approved a $1 billion share buyback.

The Montreal furniture components producer said it will spend several million dollars on new machinery at the Granite Falls plant.

The largest grant, $7.7 million, will expand pallet production from low-grade wood as the state tries to shore up demand for timber from its private forests.

The Finnish maker of plywood and LVL mill equipment, whose third-quarter sales fell 34%, lowered the top of its 2026 forecast for the second time this year.

Minnesota-based Andersen, which bought the window and door maker in 2017, did not disclose terms; the deal is expected to close in December.

The Chilean wood-based panel maker’s revenue rose 5% to $72.3 million; it also plans to concentrate production in Chile.

Vietnam remained the largest supplier as its share fell 4.9 pp; China’s shipments rose 13-fold and Canada’s fell 17.7%.

Goldman Sachs forecasts single-family starts of 870,000 and existing-home sales of 3.9 million next year, before lower mortgage rates revive activity in the second half.

The Texas homebuilder lifted orders 3% with incentives of 11% and says owning and developing its own land has largely locked in its lot costs.

The timber giant's latest land sale, at about $1,800 an acre, comes as third-quarter profit fell 24% and it braces for a softer fourth quarter in wood products.

Project modernizes Angel Soft bath tissue production with completion expected in Q2 2028.

Former Huber Engineered Woods president brings 30 years of industry experience as board expands to 11 directors.

Eleven southern states accounted for 70% of the loss to development and cropland between 1990 and 2017, and rates have started to rise again.

Manufactured home shipments rose 2%, while net income fell 40% as sales to RV makers dropped 15%.

Net sales orders fell 7% and cancellations rose to 23%; the largest U.S. homebuilder expects incentives to stay elevated and fiscal 2027 revenue of $30 billion to $32 billion.

The 15-year fixed mortgage rate declined, reaching 6.60% from 6.68% a week earlier.

Stronger softwood lumber markets lifted prices while New Brunswick softwood volumes fell; Acadian expects sawlog demand and prices to remain stable until end-use markets improve.

Higher mortgage rates affected orders and deliveries; the company expects 9,350 to 9,650 home deliveries and $3.3 billion to $3.4 billion in 2026 home sales revenue.

The median monthly mortgage payment rose 10.7% from a year earlier to $2,786, the second-highest level in Redfin records.

Northeast and Midwest prices gained 4.0% and 3.6%, while West prices fell 0.6%.

Homebuilding revenue rose 3% to $942 million while homebuilding gross margin fell to 14.9%; the company maintains 2026 guidance for approximately 9,250 home closings.

Lower housing starts reduced organic sales and gross profit; the company expects $60 million to $70 million in productivity savings in 2026.

The statement described economic activity as strong and said more information was needed to guide policy.

The curtailments will cut annual capacity by 500 million square feet of OSB and 225 million board feet of southern yellow pine lumber.

The U.S. maker of pallets, decking and building components kept its 2026 outlook unchanged.

A $1.38 billion non-cash goodwill charge drove the reported loss; North American operating profit targets are $460 million to $500 million for the fourth quarter and $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion for 2026.

Smurfit Westrock expects price increases to more than offset freight and energy costs, with full benefits into 2027.

The second phase covers the sawmill and log yard and is due in the fourth quarter of 2026; output is set to reach about 220 million board feet a year.

The largest North American cabinet maker has started a search for a permanent finance chief as it integrates American Woodmark.

Record group sales lifted results, while inflation, tariffs and Mineral Fiber mix pressured margins; Armstrong expects 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $602 million to $612 million.

The 20-City Composite rose 2.7%, while home values fell in real terms for the 15th month in a row as inflation held at 3.4%.

Sales of new single-family homes were 676,000 in September from a revised 680,000 in August and were 5.3% below a year earlier.

Custom cabinet sales rise 1.5%, semi-custom fall 4.7% and stock fall 12.1%, while cabinet quantity drops 9.0%.

The paperboard maker is pushing through price increases and expects the market to keep recovering, while problems at its Augusta mill continued into October.

The Reidsville factory opened in 2019; the company said it has more manufacturing capacity than it needs and expects stronger growth elsewhere.

Duties on Canadian softwood lumber would go into loan funds for homes built with U.S. wood, and tariffs on mill machinery not made in the U.S. would be removed.

Smurfit Westrock and Pratt Industries allege dumping margins of up to 297% on Chinese boxes; Turkey also faces a subsidy investigation.

A final rule signed on Thursday lets mills use a newer small-chamber method for routine quality-control testing and updates six other test standards.

The deal adds about $55 million in annual sales and 165 employees to UFP Packaging's PalletOne network on the Gulf Coast; closing is expected around Nov. 16.

Japan housing starts, China industrial data, Sweden producer prices and forest products, building products and homebuilding results are also scheduled.

Monday's $10 drop was the steepest session of the week.