2015 Marked A Good Year for The U.S. Lumber Market

Bothell, WA, March 16, 2016—The U.S. lumber market was a bright spot as compared to most other regions of the world in 2015, according to Wood Resources International. As a result of a healthy housing market, lumber consumption was up almost 5% as compared to 2014, and import volumes in 2015 were 10% higher than in the previous year.

The strong domestic market and a weakening Asian market also resulted in less lumber being exported in 2015. Export shipments were down 9.7%, while imports were up 10% from 2014.

Lumber exports from Canada reached an eight-year high in 2015 when sawmills took advantage of the fairly strong U.S. lumber market, which combined with the weak currency, allowed them to ship 9.2% more lumber to the U.S. than in 2014. Shipments to China, on the other hand, fell over 13% to the lowest level since 2010.