Softwood lumber prices rise as year begins

Supply crunches and high volumes drove softwood lumber prices up in the first week of 2022, according to Madison’s Lumber Reporter.

The week ending Jan. 7 saw the price of western spruce-pine-fir two-by-fours increased by 16 percent to US$1,100 per thousand board feet, from $950 the previous week. High snowfalls in the western U.S. exacerbated logistical challenges, while many sawmills were slow to resume activity after the holidays.