Reports on the softwood lumber market throughout the Southeast have been a mixed bag with some in brighter spots than others.
One lumber spokesperson located in Louisiana said, “It’s kind of slow right now.” At the time of this writing, he mentioned that the market is “worse” than six months ago with a finger pointed at the economy as the main cause.
His company sells Southern Yellow Pine in 1-3 inches in “full rough,” but it’s “not S4S lumber” even though they “have all the export grades -SAP, Prime and Merch.”
Their customers consist of importers, who have informed him that “it’s just kind of the same as here with inflation and the shape of the economy.”
He listed inflation and the economy as the main issues companies like his are facing.
Overall, he hopes conditions will improve.
A lumber source in Mississippi who said that the market “is not very good,” and is “average to below,” said that the “elections have got a lot of people nervous. It has put a lot of remodeling and new homes on hold.” According to him, the market is worse than six months ago.
They also sell Southern Yellow Pine in “anything from 5/4 to 20×20,” and in grades from “No.1 to No. 4 Common,” he added.
Most of their clientele are contractors and treaters who are, as he said, “seeing fewer sales,” which have been “down for the past several months. Overall, market conditions are poor.”
His final statement was a mention of the economy, which “has certainly proven to be not nearly as strong as media and the government is acting like it is.”
In Alabama, a lumber spokesperson had a more positive outlook at the time of this writing, saying, “It’s better than it was. I think people have gone without lumber for so long, they’re restocking, plus all the storm damage we just had. I think it’s driving the market up.” She said it is better than six months ago.
They offer Southern Yellow Pine in 2×4, 2×6, 3×4, 4×4 “7-foot, 8-foot, 10-foot and 12-foot,” she listed. They “do a whole lot of PET material,” which she called “specialized lengths.”
They sell to traders, wholesalers, truss manufacturers and pallet companies, she noted, following this list with, “everybody tells me that they can’t find what they’re looking for. They say it’s becoming a struggle to get what they need to do their jobs. Right now, I don’t really have anything to sell. I’m pretty well booked out. It seems like everything is going on the positive side right now.”
