U.S. sawmills produced 20.687 billion board ft. (bbf) of softwood lumber in the first seven months of 2019, edging down 0.1% from 20.705 bbf a year earlier, the Western Wood Products Assn. reported in its latest Lumber Track report.
Western U.S. sawmills accounted for 8.416 bbf of the seven-month total, down 1.7% from 8.561 bbf in the same period of 2018, while sawmills in the southern U.S. contributed 11.298 bbf, up 1.2% from 11.169 bbf in the previous year.
In July, U.S. sawmills produced 3.017 bbf, up 3.7% from 2.908 bbf in July 2018, and up 4.8% from 2.879 bbf in June 2019.
Sawmills in the West contributed 1.202 bbf to July’s production volume, a 2.9% year-over-year gain from 1.168 bbf, and up 4.7% from 1.148 bbf in June of this year. Sawmills in the South produced 1.673 bbf, up 4.4% from last year’s 1.603 bbf and up 4.8% from 1.596 bbf in the previous month.
Apparent U.S. softwood lumber consumption in the seven-month period was 28,541 bbf, up slightly from last year’s 28.507 bbf by 0.1%. Consumption in July at 4.047 bbf was down 2.5% from 4.149 bbf last year, and 0.5% below June’s volume of 4.065 bbf.