An overall increase in shipments of lumber from NELMA’s member mills through the 2nd Quarter of 2017 reflect the national trend seen in other regions of the U.S. during the first six months. Dimension lumber figures from the northeastern mills, primarily construction grades of SPFs, rose to 289.4 million board feet (MMBF), compared to 251.3 MMBF for the same 6-month period last year. This 15% increase fueled the overall shipments of all northeastern lumber rise by 7.6% compared to 2016. June reports were particularly high at 91.5 MMBF, a new monthly northeastern overall record.
Eastern White Pine shipments through July were flat in comparison, with 218.3 MMBF this year versus 220.4 million in 2016. Meanwhile at Great Lakes mills, shipments for the first half of 2017 totaled 265.6 MMBF, on pace with 2016’s shipments of 267.7 MMBF. Adding numbers from the Northeast and Great Lakes, shipments totaled 773.3 MMBF, 4.6% above the record level shipment numbers reported during the same time in 2016.
Graphics are provided below for shipments by month for selected years.
