b'SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 10, 2021FOREST PRODUCTS 17(VOLATILEcontinuedmbft in May 2020. (see Mad- to a crawl. Lumber supplies from page 16) isonLumberReporterchartfrom Canada (see Descartes-StartingbackinAprilofbelow for pricing by weeks). DatamyneCanadaExport 2020,forestproducts,espe- Therewereamyriadofchartpage16)werealso ciallylumberpriceshavereasons for the sharp rise indown,partlybecauseofthe been climbingpulled alongU.S. lumber prices. Althoughaforementionedlumberdis-as a portion of the wide-rang- DIY (Do-It-Yourself) demandpute but also the effects of the ingpost-pandemicupwardwasstrongcomingoutofmountain pine beetle in Brit-movementofcommodityCOVID-19lockdowns,theish Columbia. prices.ByAugustof2020extent of the housing reboundThecumulativeupshot lumberpriceshadreachedwasanunexpectedpushtowas a dramatic rise in lumber pre-pandemiclevelsbeforedemand for framing lumber.prices. In April, near the peak againslumping.ThenitWildfires in the west of bothof the lumber price spike, the really beganlumber pricesCanadaandtheU.S.alsoNational Association of Home intheU.S.simplytookoffimpactedsuppliestosaw- Builders(NAHB)estimated like a SpaceX Falcon rocket.millsasdidhurricanesandthat the rise added as much as ByMaylumberpriceshadother metrological events. In$36,000 to the cost of a new hit an all-time high of $1,670addition,astrainedsupplysingle-family home. And con-mbft(thousandboardfeet),chain both in North Americacern over building costs were comparedtoaround$345and abroad slowed deliveriesclimbingthepoliticalladder Paul Bunyan statue in Bangor, ME(photo credit: Greg Hartford, AcadiaMagic)in DC, because as constructionlumber producers.slowed,sodidU.S.employ- ButbyJuly,everything ment and hopes for a recoveryhadchanged.Lumberprices fromthepandemic.Pressurewere in a free fall as if Paul tomakeadealwithCanadaBunyanhimselfhadyelled mounted (see above) to relievetimber.The Madison Lumber the price surge with more addi- Reporter, one of the best cov-tional lumber sourcing, despiteeringtheindustry,wrotein pressure in the opposite direc- their September 3 newsletter, tionfromtheU.S.LumberConstruction projects which Coalition,agroupcomposed(VOLATILEcontinued on largelyofU.S.softwoodpage 18)Bulk. Breakbulk. And so much more.Fairless Hills, PA - Palm Beach - Port Canaveral - Port Everglades - Port Manatee - Wilmington, DEportcontractors.com 1-800-792-PORT'