Madison's Lumber Reporter

06/11/2026

Softwood Lumber Market and Prices Update: Mid-June 2026 (video)

Mid-June 2026 Lumber Demand Soft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkq0fCfV7G0

Deep dive into softwood latest lumber prices and market update for mid-June 2026.

As June kicked off the lumber market still lacked clear direction; with some prices up, some down, and some flat:

• Traders of Western-SPF in the US reported a tenuous upward trend, supported by positive movement in lumber futures.
• Sawmill order files were into the latter half of June, making discounts increasingly difficult to find.
• Buyers tried to secure their mid-summer needs at the previous week’s prices, but mills held fast to their established lists.
• Customers of Eastern-SPF carrying short positions who had been waiting for a pullback in prices found themselves caught.
• The ESPF supply pipeline was demonstrably leaner than it has been in the past two years at this time.
• Southern Yellow Pine asking prices pushed as high as $10 to $15 above print as producers tried to pass on rising freight costs.
• Retail customers in the US northeast relied on just-in-time purchasing as external factors made every transaction more challenging.

https://youtu.be/Tkq0fCfV7G0Deep dive into latest softwood lumber...

06/10/2026

May Long Weekends Kept Lumber Demand Soft

As forest industry folks returned to their desks following the respective Canadian and US May long weekends, sentiment remained cautious.

In the week ending May 29, 2026, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$490 mfbm. This was flat from the previous week, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter. That week’s price was flat from one month ago.
Compared to the same week last year, when it was US$450 mfbm, the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) for the week ending May 29, 2026 was up +$40, or +9%. Compared to two years ago when it was $384, that week’s price was up +$106, or +28%.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• Buyers of Western-SPF in the US remained focussed on hand-to-mouth business on lacklustre downstream demand.
• Western-SPF sawmills in Canada held enough supply to satisfy current demand levels.
• There were a few pockets of challenging availability, with tighter supply in wider widths or straight lengths.
• Sawmill order files in the West were only into the first or second week of June.
• There was general apathy and lack of urgency among buyers of Eastern-SPF which is unusual for this time of year.
• Persistently high, and rising, costs of freight further reduced suppliers’ margins.
• Southern Yellow Pine prices still settled on either side of the previous week’s levels.
• Discounted SYP material thinned out dramatically as buyers had stepped in to shore up their depleted inventories.
• Eastern Stocking Wholesalers reported month-end machinations contributed to hesitation on the part of buyers.

FULL STORY: https://madisonsreport.com/may-long-weekends-kept-lumber-demand-soft/

06/05/2026

The Madison’s Lumber Prices Index for the week ending June 5, 2026 is: US$521 mfbm

This is flat from the previous week when it was US$521.
This is down 0%, or -$1, from one month ago when it was US$522.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

06/03/2026

Late Spring Lumber Prices Mostly Flat

As the calendar turned to the week between the Canadian and US respective May long weekends, most lumber prices remained generally flat.

In the week ending May 22, 2026 the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$490 mfbm, which was flat from the previous week, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was flat from one month ago when it was $490.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• Holiday long weekends on both sides of the border took players away from their desks.
• Purchasers balked at Western-SPF commodity prices in the US but ultimately booked orders regardless.
• Western-SPF sawmills in Canada turned their attention to local buyers in an attempt to cultivate better takeaway.
• The market at large was in a clear holding pattern until after the US Memorial Day long weekend.
• High diesel prices kept freight costs up, and recent seasonal driver shortages were becoming apparent in decreased truck capacity.
• Eastern-SPF sawmills corrected their asking prices between $5 and $10 on bread-and-butter items.
• Southern Yellow Pine prices hit levels where many producers were refusing to accept counter offers.
• Pallet manufacturers and other key seasonal buyers showing inconsistent purchasing patterns.
• Mills in the US south couldn’t find enough trucks; some refused to take orders if they couldn’t be sure of transit times.
• Eastern Stocking Wholesalers got a breather ahead of the upcoming Memorial Day long weekend.

FULL STORY: https://madisonsreport.com/late-spring-lumber-prices-mostly-flat/

05/29/2026

The Madison’s Lumber Prices Index for the week ending May 29, 2026 is: US$521 mfbm

This is flat from the previous week when it was US$521.
This is down 0%, or -$1, from one month ago when it was US$522.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

05/27/2026

Lumber Prices Firm on Low Inventory, Soft Demand

There was no sense of urgency in the week prior to Canada’s May long weekend, with the US heading into theirs the following weekend.

In the week ending May 15, 2026, the price of benchmark softwood lumber item Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$490 mfbm. This was flat from the previous week, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was flat from one month ago.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• Some traders of Western-SPF in the US decried weak conditions while others thought demand looked pretty good.
• Distributors and buyers were content to play it close while the market was mired in uncertainty.
• Sawmills adopted a similar aspect, refusing to build order files while they felt the market wasn’t firing on all cylinders.
• Overall supply remained tight however, limiting any potential for downward pressure on pricing.
• As for Western-SPF in Canada, there were many reports of mills pushing out buildups of material at notable discounts to print.
• Prompt shipments often ended up behind schedule, particularly when originating out of Northern BC.
• Eastern-SPF producers suffered hit-or-miss business.
• ESPF secondary suppliers in the US bought more than they sold over the past two weeks, in a period of seasonal weakness.
• Southern Yellow Pine commodities continued to trend downward in search of a price bottom.
• SYP buyers looking for specific mixes or cleaner lengths had a tough time.

FULL STORY: https://madisonsreport.com/lumber-prices-firm-on-low-inventory-soft-demand/

05/22/2026

The Madison’s Lumber Prices Index for the week ending May 22, 2026 is: US$521 mfbm

This is down 0%, or -$1, from the previous week when it was US$522.
This is down 0%, or -$1, from one month ago when it was US$522.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

05/20/2026

Lumber Sales Take a Breath on Dual Long Weekends

The dual mid-May long weekends in Canada and the US provided a break for North America lumber sales. Top of everyone’s minds was delivery; freight charges and tight supply of trucks and rail cars.

In the week ending May 8, 2026 the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$490 mfbm, which was flat from the previous week, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter.
That week’s price was flat from one month ago when it was $490.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• There wasn’t enough production of Western-SPF in the US to allow buyers slack to make counter-offers.
• Western-SPF suppliers in Canada had sustained inquiry and takeaway from buyers which kept both sawmills and distributors busy.
• Sentiment among customers remained cautious, as they committed only to coverage in a near-term, two- to four-week, range.
• ***On May 1st, the UP and BN railroads added another $6 to $10 per thousand in fuel surcharges, substantially increasing shipping costs per rail car. ***
• Trucking availability remained tight across Western Canada, with limited capacity reducing flexibility on prompt orders.
• Eastern-SPF mills maintained order files in a roughly three-week range.
• As buyers refused to build inventory in anticipation of spring jobs, distributors and sawmills also avoided carrying or processing excess inventory.
• Producers of Southern Yellow Pine now had order files, so buyers who needed quick coverage had to pay to get it.
• Commodity prices and tight supply increasingly occupied the minds of Eastern Stocking Wholesalers.
• Vendors in the tri-state area faced the fact their cross-country shipments were subject to sky-high freight rates.

FULL STORY: https://madisonsreport.com/lumber-sales-take-a-breath-on-dual-long-weekends/

05/15/2026

The Madison’s Lumber Prices Index for the week ending May 15, 2026 is: US$522 mfbm

This is flat from the previous week when it was US$522.
This is down -0%, or -$2, from one month ago when it was US$524.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

05/13/2026

Lumber Supplies Tight on Industry Uncertainty

As May dawned most players in the North America lumber industry remained firmly on the side of caution.

In the week ending May 1, 2026 the price of Western Spruce-Pine-Fir 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$490 mfbm, which was flat from the previous week, said weekly forest products industry price guide newsletter Madison’s Lumber Reporter. That week’s price was flat from one month ago when it was $490.

In the week ending May 1, 2026, the price of Southern Yellow Pine East Side 2x4 #2&Btr KD (RL) was US$505 mfbm. This was down -$30, or -6%, from the previous week when it was $535. That week’s price was down -$56, or -10%, from one month ago when it was $561.

To subscribe to Madison’s Lumber Reporter, simply fill out an order form here: https://madisonsreport.com/subscribe/

KEY TAKE-AWAYS:
• Players of Western-SPF in the US reported precious little slack in the system.
• Purchasing continued to be on a lean, hand-to-mouth basis.
• Limited overall supply and ongoing issues in transportation played havoc with production schedules and delivery timelines.
• Demand for Western-SPF in the Canada was undeniably better than at the start of April.
• Price spreads between sawmill-asking and on-the-ground grew further.
• Trading volumes of Eastern-SPF were decent — though subpar for the time of year.
• Southern Yellow Pine continued trading down in a freight vacuum, while price fragmentation and availability discrepancies increased again.
• Delayed deliveries and frustrated retail customers abounded as trucking issues dominated much of the conversation.

FULL STORY: https://madisonsreport.com/lumber-supplies-tight-on-industry-uncertainty/