Northeast Business Trends
Northeast U.S. Provides Diverse Views On Market And Tariffs
The Northeast seems to have differing thoughts regarding the state of the market according to sources at the time of this writing. Some reported the market is better than the start of the year and others said it is worse.
A Vermont sawmill spokesman said the market is fair. “The market for most of the hardwood high grades, such as Select and Better, I wouldn’t say it’s strong but it’s okay. The Commons are all a challenge. They can be hard to move, certainly with any price that works,” he said.
Compared to six months ago, the market was stronger than it is today. “Six months ago, things were better for us.
There is certainly the revolving tariff door that has been a challenge and certainly on the Chinese side, that affected us significantly and it seems like some of the domestic accounts just don’t have the same appetite for lumber that they did,” he said.
The species of hardwood his company produces are Hard and Soft Maple, Red Oak, Ash and Cherry in primarily 4/4. They offer all grades like, Select and Better, FAS, No. 1 Common, No. 2 Common, No. 3 Common in kiln-dried and green. Currently selling the best is Hard Maple.
They market to primarily distributors and some end use manufacturers. According to his customers, “Any feedback we are hearing is just very flat. Who wants to speculate anything three or four months out? It’s just flat where we are today,” he said.
“Transportation has been okay for us. It seems to be readily available and we haven’t seen any significant change in rates,” he said. “We are being directly affected by the tariffs. We’re just hoping this whole thing just gets settled so that everyone knows what they are doing. The changes are difficult.”
A lumber salesman in New York said the market is not bad and most of their product is moving. They have a customer base that covers domestic, export distributors and end use manufacturers.
Hard and Soft Maple and Red and White Oak are popular in the Northeast
He mentioned the market is the same as six months prior. “It’s average. It seems most orders are specific, and people are only buying what they need but for the most part we have such a wide variety that we are able to meet their needs,” he said.
His company handles Red and White Oak, Hard and Soft Maple, Ash, Basswood, Birch, Poplar and Walnut. They offer 4/4 to 8/4 thicknesses on all lumber, 10/4 to 16/4 for Maples and 10/4 to 12/4 for Oaks. Selling the best for them currently is Red Oak.
According to him, neither transportation nor the current tariffs have affected them negatively. “It all seems to be flowing really well, but it’s picking up,” he said.
A Pennsylvania lumberman commented on the market being slow but the same as six months previous. He said, “There’s just no demand. We’re looking for better markets right now. It’s been a hot summer.”
His company sells No. 2 Common and Better Red and White Oak and Poplar in 4/4 and 5/4. Their customers include distributors, wholesalers and end users, all of which also referenced the state of the market as being slow.
Transportation has been affordable and available for them. “I think there’s plenty of trucks. We get a lot of brokers calling and emailing so I’m assuming there’s trucks out there needing loads,” he said.
“We are exporting but I have no idea if the tariffs have affected our customers. I’m not even sure what is going on with the tariffs, whether they’re in or out. A lot of lumber goes to China, and I guess we are in a stalemate,” he said.
“Nobody has said that it’s a big deal here, but everybody is concerned about it. We don’t import anything, so we aren’t worried about it.”
Another Pennsylvania source said the market is “pretty bad” but better than six months ago. He cited reasons like interest rates, the housing industry, fuel cost and the current uncertainty surrounding tariffs.
His company markets Red and White Oak, Hard and Soft Maple, Cherry, Hickory and Poplar in 4/4 to 8/4, to companies that then dry and resell the lumber. His current best sellers are White Oak and both Hard and Soft Maple.
“They are struggling,” he said regarding his customers. “We sell to people who export, so that part is being hurt because of China. I figure in the long run it’ll work out just if we can hang on long enough to make it through.”
