Final shipment data reported to NELMA from its member lumber manufacturers indicate that totals for the calendar year 
2014 reached the highest levels since 2007, when combining shipments of Eastern White Pine and Dimension lumber products. Just over 853 million board feet was shipped for the year, compared with around 847 million in 2013, the previous high mark since 2007.
Dimension lumber from the Northeast is typically grade-stamped with the SPFs designation and dominated by the species of the Eastern Spruces and Balsam Fir but also includes some Red Pine and Jack Pine. Final end-use of this product is typically in 2×4, 2×6 and stud application in construction. Smaller quantities of Eastern Hemlock are also produced by NELMA’s Dimension lumber mills and added with the total shipments. Lumber from this category accounted for 51% of the total shipments last year, or 437.2 million board feet. This was just off (-1.6%) from last year’s shipments.
Eastern White Pine accounted for 49% of the total with an 8-year high mark of 415.8 million board feet of shipments, some 3.3% ahead of 2013’s reported data. Lumber manufactured from this species is typically produced in 1” thickness and used for appearance applications in construction.
Monthly data for 2008 through 2014 for both Dimension lumber and Eastern White Pine are graphed below, along with a graphic of the total calendar year lumber shipments from 2007 to 2014. Click on each graph to enlarge.
