Lumber Prices – Historical Graph
Real-time chart of historical daily lumber prices. The prices are down in U.S. dollars per 1000 board feet.
- The average price in the past 3 days is
- The average price in the past 7 days is
- The average price in the past 30 days is
- The average price in the past 365 days is
Popular questions about lumber prices:
Lumber Prices Explained
As you can see lumber prices are fluctuating. But why is that? And is there a way to predict the price of lumber?
Why are lumber prices fluctuating?
Lumber prices fluctuate due to recurring, common, and trade policies. Here is the complete rundown of the top reasons:
1. Supply and Demand
Lumber is a key resource in modern construction across the world. High lumber demand generally comes from the housing market sectors. Thus, this is the main price driver of lumber in the market.
2. Weather and Natural Disasters
Hurricanes and floods have a big influence on lumber market value as they disrupt the steady supply chain and reduce lumber availability.
Similarly, the recurring wildfires every summer have put the lumber industry’s operation to a halt to give way for forest recovery.
Generally, it creates low supply production which impacts lumber prices.
3. Transportation Costs
Lumber transportation from the forest to the mills, and the market requires a great deal of labor, machinery, and fuel.
These three underlying factors all add up to the expensive transportation costs which drive high lumber prices.
4. Shipping Delays
The Covid 19 pandemic reduced the number of skilled workers globally and the lumber industry is not an exception.
This caused a labor shortage and the overseas and air travel restrictions and fluctuations all add up to the fuel.
These delays result in low lumber availability and price spike in the market.
5. Trade Disputes
The lumber trade dispute between America and Canada makes the global supply even tighter.
Canada, being the second largest lumber producer in the world limits its lumber supply in the market because of the tariff.
This tariff decreases lumber accessibility and increases its market value.
Which variables impact the price of lumber?
- Supply and Demand
- Natural Disasters
- Transportation Costs
- Currency Exchange Rates
- Trade Policies and Tariffs
- Production Capacity
Where does lumber come from?
Lumber is a processed wood product from harvested trees. It comes from two common tree species:
1. Softwood
Softwoods are from coniferous trees which grow fast and have needles instead of leaves. Pine, spruce, fir, and cedar are examples of softwoods used for lumber.
2. Hardwood
Hardwoods are from deciduous trees which unlike coniferous trees grow slowly and have leaves instead of needles.
Oak, maple, birch, cherry, and walnut are examples of hardwoods used for lumber.
Lumber is harvested from natural forests and commercially grown forests or plantations. As per international law, every harvested tree requires a tree seedling replacement.
Today, the top lumber producers are in the United States, Canada, Russia, Sweden, and Finland.
When is the lumber season?
Lumber production is present throughout the year however its production, supply, and demand peak are determined by certain seasons and sustainability programs.
Spring and summer are the seasons for high production, supply, demand, and price hike in the market as construction companies begin to build houses and buildings.
Conversely, low production and supply are common in winter months as logging is put to a stop because of the cold weather. Additionally, transportation is hard due to ice and snow.
Overall, various factors influence lumber price fluctuation which is constantly happening every year.