Kruse Enterprises

04/16/2026

Good Morning!

In the 42 years that I have been working in this industry, I have NEVER seen the trucking problems that we are seeing now. Through a combination of problems, culminating over the last 15 years, flatbed trucks have become somewhat scarce, and freight rates have moved up. Higher fuel costs, increased government regulations, and fewer foreign truck drivers have all combined to create a “perfect storm,” if you will. As a result, we are late on a number of orders. If we have an order for you that is late in shipping, our apologies. We will get your order shipped, even if we have to over-pay to the point that we are losing money. This issue has also resulted in higher prices for nearly everything that we sell. We have no choice. If our shipping costs go up, we have to raise our prices to fray the cost.

Lumber markets remained quiet, but prices moved up slightly last week, because availability from the mills is limited. 2x4 #2 SPF and 2x6 #2 SPF prices moved up another $5 or so, as limited demand was overshadowed by limited supply. It was announced last week that the CVD and AD rates on lumber shipped from Canada to the US will be dropping slightly. These rates are assessed by the Commerce Dept. of the US, and they are based on selling prices for finished lumber. The overall rate is going to drop from 14.63% to 14.17%, although some of the bigger mills are assessed separately. This drop is likely the result of market prices that have been creeping up over the last couple of months. Wide dimension prices also moved up, but at disproportionate rates. 2x12 is somewhat stronger than 2x8 and 2x10 right now. Stud prices also moved up, and some stud mills that we have spoken with are having logging problems. Most trims and species moved up between $10 and $20 on limited demand and limited supply. Low grade lumber has become extremely scarce, and the mills that have it available are asking higher prices.

Panel markets were lackluster last week, and most prices did not change much. OSB was a bit more readily available, and even though demand was a bit low for this time of the year, prices held. Rated Sheathing Plywood prices moved up slightly, even though most buyers said that supply and demand were somewhat balanced. We are still thin on our rated sheathing plywood inventory, only because OSB, which does the same job, is somewhat cheaper. Specialty plywood prices remained mostly unchanged, although we have been getting more calls on 4x8 ¾” HDO Plyform, and we won’t be able to get any more until late May.

Steel prices are basically flat but firm, but just like lumber, higher shipping costs are resulting in higher prices across the country. There is a limited amount of imported rebar at the ports, and we continue to hear that more is coming, but we have not seen it yet. Remesh prices are up slightly, based on shipping costs.

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08/18/2025

Good Afternoon!

I have been a volunteer on the board of directors for Hope Christian School in Albuquerque for about 10 years. Last week, I was nominated, and I accepted the position of vice-chairman of the board, since the existing vice-chairman had resigned and retired from the position. I was reluctant at first, but as I prayed about it, I realized that all of us have something that the Lord is expecting us to do while we are alive here. Our job is to find out what that calling is, and be obedient to it. Does that mean that I will serve in this capacity forever? Probably not. Most of the time, our calling is “seasonal” in nature, and for a period of time only. For the time being, I will serve in this capacity as well as I can, until something changes. That is the reason that I was out of the office on Thursday and Friday. Thank you for your patience.

Lumber markets were quiet last week, following 3 weeks of strength which were due to the increased duties being assessed against the Canadian mills by the US government. For the week, prices remained mostly unchanged. 2x4 #2 SPF prices actually slipped by about $10 per mbf, even though most mills had very little to offer. 2x6 #2 SPF prices continue to lag the price of 2x4 by about $100 per mbf. We have found much more 2x6 available than 2x4 from the mills. High quality WF and DF from the domestic mills was readily available in both 2x4 and 2x6, but with prices that were significantly higher than SPF, most buyers seemed to be content to buy only what they needed on these items. MSR prices did not change much, and since most of this lumber comes from Canada, and is subject to higher duties in the US, very little was sold. Stud prices remained mostly unchanged from the previous week. Wide dimension prices from the domestic mills strengthened due to the higher duties. Sierra Pacific was up about $15 on 2x8, and $20 on 2x12. Low grade lumber prices remained mostly unchanged on soft demand and limited supply.

Panel markets were quiet last week, as buyers returned to the sidelines following 2 weeks of increased demand. OSB prices posted gains for the week, due mainly to carryover from the prior 2 weeks. 4x8 7/16” is now being quoted on rail cars back up around $255 into the southwest, and some of the mills are booked out to the first week of September. This is an increase of over $20 per msf from what was being quoted just a couple of weeks ago. Commodity plywood prices were also up, but by smaller amounts, relative to OSB. Premium and specialty panel prices remained soft on weak demand, and the mills were out chasing orders.

Steel price increases that were announced a few weeks ago due to import tariffs seemed to hold last week. Domestic mills have been able to move their production readily, since there seems to be very little imported rebar heading the US. Remesh prices moved up to around $100 per roll on 6,6,10,10 5’x150’. This is the first time that rolls have traded at $100 or more in at least a year or 2. While demand has been muted, increased tariffs are starting to have an impact.

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07/30/2025

Lumber markets were quiet again last week, but most prices remained firm or increased slightly. News circulated that the Anti-Dumping duty on Canadian lumber coming to the US would increase from approximately 7.66% to 20.56% over the next few weeks. This pushed Canadian producers to move as much lumber as they could to the US reloads before it happens. Nonetheless, this combined with limited availability on several items pushed prices up, albeit by small amounts. 2x4 #2 SPF prices increased another $5 per mbf, while 2x6 #2 SPF remained flat. Higher quality 2x4 #2 WF and DF from the domestic mills remained mostly unchanged. MSR lumber, which is manufactured mostly in Canada, increased another $10 per mbf on limited availability. Wide dimension (2x8 thru 2x12) prices remained mostly unchanged. Low grade prices were flat but firm on limited supply.

Panel prices slipped again on weak demand. Remarkably, OSB prices slipped, and we are now seeing multi-year low prices on 4x8 7/16”. For the week, 4x8 7/16” OSB prices were down another $10 per msf or so. Distributors like us are now under water, although we know that the OSB producers are hanging on by their fingernails, given the losses that they will now be incurring. Had they not made a such a fortune a few years ago, we might be seeing more mills close or curtail their production. We did see that one eastern Canadian OSB producer announced curtailments through September, but the market basically yawned off the news, and prices slid further. We would expect to see more production curtailment announcements in the weeks to come, but how much effect they will have on the market remains to be seen. Plywood prices seemed to firm up a bit last week, as more mills were rumored to be announcing production curtailments in the coming days. We actually saw 4x8 15/32” CDX prices increase $5 to $10, which was the first increase in several weeks. Premium and specialty plywood prices slipped a bit on weak demand.

Steel markets remained hot last week, as it became apparent that the price increases that we saw over the last few weeks were going to stick. With very little imported rebar heading to the US due to the Trump tariffs, rebar prices are up by more than $5 per cwt since the Spring. This amounts to $.40 per piece on #4-20’ rebar. Remesh prices have also increased. We are now seeing prices around $100 per roll, FOB delivered, on 6,6,10,10 5’x150’ Remesh rolls. This is a new high for 2025. Since most Remesh is manufactured out of imported wire rod, the Trump tariffs have hit this item pretty hard.

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02/24/2025

Good Morning! I have now been in the lumber and building products business for 41 years. I started at Sagebrush Sales in 1984, working part-time in the traffic department. Once I graduated from college in 1986, I worked at Sagebrush as a Sales Representative, VP of Marketing and Sales, Senior VP and eventually, President. Over that time, I gained a vast knowledge of lumber; it’s uses, characteristics and grades. Many people have asked me what I will be doing when I retire in a few years. Most likely, I will be offering consulting services and training seminars to organizations that want to better educate their sales and management teams on the use and application of lumber. Today, I can offer this service free to our preferred customers (ones that are actively purchasing from us). If you are interested, please call me at 505-889-3385.

Lumber markets were a contradiction last week, as some items moved up sharply, while others came down. President Trump’s tariff threats last week against Canada sent the price of 2x4 SPF (most of which comes from Canada) up dramatically. For the week, 2x4 #2 SPF was up more than $15 per mbf and 2x4 1650 SPF was up by more than $20. Some Canadian mills that we spoke with, are already trying to add the tariff rate to their prices for material that will not ship from the mill for 10 days or longer. This is in anticipation that an agreement might not be reached at the last minute, like it was last time. 2x6 prices, however, remained soft on weak demand, due to the fact that 2x6 has continued to trade at an abnormally high price compared to 2x4. This anomaly is starting to correct itself, but we feel like it will be a couple more weeks before it is back in line. Wide dimension prices remained soft last week. According to one major mill that we spoke with, this is because so much of the 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 used in this country is produced domestically, so it isn’t as volatile with the tariff talk, and demand in the US has been weak due to the poor weather being seen back east. Once the weather changes, we would expect to see 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 prices start moving back up, so that they are more in line with traditional spreads against 2x4. As a matter of fact, this rep told me that they had already firmed their prices for these items, due to better overall demand that they saw last week. Stud prices moved up modestly on improved demand and more tariff threats against Canadian imports. Most increases, however, were modest at best. Low grade lumber continues to be hard to find, and a lack of availability is starting to be seen in both #3 and economy. 2x6 Economy is almost non-existent, and prices are higher than most pallet producers would like to pay.

Panel markets remained in disarray, as tariff threats against Canada continued to play havoc with the market. OSB prices are high, but we are starting to see some cracks in the dam. We were offered 4x9 7/16” Rated OSB in the $425 range last week. It was imported Kronospan stock, not domestic production. But if the importers are starting to drop their prices, the domestic producers probably won’t be far behind. We’ll see. In the meantime, the only companies who own any OSB are the large distributors who buy it on contract, or the importers who have some sitting in the ports. They are hoping that prices will hold, so that they can move their inventory. Rated plywood prices, on the other hand, moved higher again on strong demand and limited supply from the weather-related shutdowns that plagued the southern producers 2 to 3 weeks ago. 4x8 ¾” CDX prices have now exceeded $900 per msf delivered into the southwest, for the first time this year.

Steel prices moved up again based upon more tariff threats from the Trump administration. Most rebar producers announced another $2.00 per cwt price increase last week, leaving buyers scratching their heads on what to do next. This is the third price increase that we have seen this year, and it could get a lot worse, before it gets better. Remesh prices also jumped up again, as most producers announced another price increase. For example, 6,6,10,10 5’x150’ rolls moved up another $2 on strong demand. At this pace, we could see this item hit $100 per roll FOB delivered into the southwest again very soon. We’ll see.

Greg

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10/07/2024

Good Morning! The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta started last weekend in Albuquerque. This is the city’s premiere event. Each day of the Fiesta, somewhere around 100,000 visitors attend. This year, there were approximately 650 balloons that participated. The Fiesta goes through next weekend. Whitney and I had the privilege of attending the event on Saturday. We rode our e-bikes from our son’s house to the field, and used their free bike valet service. There were more than 1,800 bikes in the valet storage area. We had the privilege of watching a friend of mine, Frankie Martinez from RAKS Building Supply, pilot the RAKS Building Supply balloon. Frankie works at RAKS as the truss plant manager, and he pilots three different balloons throughout the year. While we watched him take off, I did not have a chance to visit with him on the field, as he was very busy. Anyway, even though the event that morning was delayed due to the high winds aloft, it did go off without any glitches. Sunday was an even better day for the Fiesta in terms of weather, and the balloons stayed in the air longer.

Lumber markets were quiet last week. Most mills worked to move off their cut-up tallies of 2x4. Premium lengths of 2x4 , like the 16 footers, remained in tight supply, while demand for them was strong. Off lengths of 2x4, like 12 footers, remained difficult to move, even at deep discounts. For the week, 2x4 RL #2&Btr SPF prices slipped another $5 per mbf. 2x4 #2 futures prices bounced up and down during the week, probably due to the uncertainty surrounding the dock workers strike, but by Friday, the November contract was trading around a $25 per mbf premium to today’s cash market. 2x6 #2 continues to trade at an $80 per mbf premium to 2x4, which is probably not sustainable. Either it is going to have to come down, or 2x4 is going to have to come up, to return to a more-normal spread. Stud prices were weak across a number of species and trims. Wide dimension prices remained strong. 2x8 moved up another $10 per mbf or so, and mill offerings were thin at best. 2x12 is almost non-existent. The major producers of 2x12 for our area were off the market, and if they had anything, they were priced at $25 per mbf or so over the actual market today. Again, like 2x6, the premium price that 2x12 is commanding should not be able to hold up in the long run. Something is going to have to give for it to return to a more normal premium over 2x4 through 2x10. Low grade prices remained unchanged, but mill offerings were spotty at best.

Panel markets were as flat as a pancake last week. OSB prices did not change. We did notice that the OSB producers are seeing shorter lead times for their products, which might mean that their order files are shrinking. This is fairly consistent with a normal Fall pattern, which usually exhibits weakness until the Spring buy that might start as early as November this year. Of course, with a major election just around the corner, the weakness we always see in the Fall might last a bit longer than normal. We will see. Plywood prices were also flat, and the mills relied leaned heavy on order files in order to avoid having to take any deep counters.

Steel markets were also flat last week. We are seeing plenty of available rebar from both the domestic producers and the importers. We did field a lot of questions last week regarding the dock workers strike and how that might affect imported steel products, but since the strike ended early, the questions subsided fairly quickly. At this point, we expect prices to remain fairly flat over the hear term, at least until the election next month.

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08/19/2024

Good Morning! Summer is almost over, but in Albuquerque, you would never know it. Temperatures are supposed to be at or near record levels here all week. Last week, Whitney and I were up in Angel Fire, NM, and up there, it was quite cool and rainy. Angel Fire is only about 150 miles from Albuquerque, in the Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern NM. It is part of the famous New Mexico “Enchanted Circle” that goes from Taos to Questa, Red River, Eagle Nest, Angel Fire and back to Taos. Angel Fire is, however, at 8,600’ in elevation, while Albuquerque is only at 5,300’, so the total climb is around 3,300’. It was quite a change, coming home to 98 degrees, when the daytime highs up there were only in the 70’s. That is one of the beautiful things about New Mexico: it’s many different climate and temperate zones from corner to corner. If you live here, however, you have to put up with some pretty terrible politicians, and a very difficult anti-business climate.

Lumber markets turned stronger again on 2 key pieces of news:
1. The countervailing duty placed on Canadian Lumber by the US Commerce Department shot all the way up to 14.53%, effective today.
2. The 2 major railroads in Canada are facing a lockout by the Canadian Teamsters Union. One of the mills that I spoke with told me that the chances of the Canadian government allowing a walkout by both major rail carriers at the same time are slim-to-none, so this might end up being a non-issue.
These 2 events pushed the price of framing lumber even higher, both on futures and on the current cash markets. 2x4 #2 SPF prices moved up another $10 per mbf. 2x6 #2 SPF prices were even stronger, moving up about $22 per mbf with limited availability. Premium WF and DF from the domestic mills was also strong, moving up by a comparable amount. By the end of the week, shortages started to be seen, especially for the most desired lengths of each item. Stud prices were up by at least $5 per mbf on most species and trims. Stimson’s stud mill in Plummer, ID closed permanently last week, due to limited availability of logs. Wide dimension prices were also strong, and we have seen 2x12 #2 HF prices shoot up by another $30 per mbf or so on limited supply from the mills. Today, good tallies of 2x12 are costing about $650 per mbf into New Mexico. Low grade lumber prices remained mostly unchanged on spotty demand.

Panel markets were a bit sloppy last week. OSB prices slipped another $5 per msf from several producing regions. Interestingly, we are finding that there is limited availability for some key items such as 4x10 7/16”. Even the 4x8 7/16” market in the southwest seems to be trading well above current replacement prices, with a number of dealers looking for prompt shipping loads (if they can find them). Plywood prices continued to strengthen last week, with ¾” CDX jumping by more than $40 per msf on limited supply. Prices for premium and specialty panels such as AC sanded and plyforms, remained mostly unchanged.

Steel rebar markets were flat and unchanged, both for imported and domestic. For the most part, we found no difficulty in finding prompt shipping trucks of rebar in most common sizes and grades. Remesh prices were also flat, with the mills threatening to go up, but not following through.

06/10/2024

Good Morning!

Lumber markets showed some signs of improvement last week, following 3 weeks of poor sales that left mills struggling to move their production, and buyers waiting for prices to fall even further. Most items firmed up last week, and some of the mill surpluses disappeared. 2x4 and 2x6 prices remained unchanged for both Canadian SPF and domestic WF/DF. WF and DF continue to sell at a premium to SPF on prices FOB delivered into the southwest, but we continue to find that the quality of the domestic lumber is higher than what we are seeing out of Canada, unless you are willing to pay more for their “premium grade” or “home center grade” lumber. 2x6 availability was tighter than 2x4, and the price spread between the 2 items was minimal. Stud prices dropped another $5 to $10 on weak demand. 2x8 with good tallies remained difficult to find, and demand for premium lengths was strong. 2x10 and 2x12 prices remained mostly unchanged. Low grade prices remained mostly unchanged, although we did have some difficulty finding 2x6 economy. 2x6 #3 was readily available, but economy and #4 was hard to find from the mills.

Panel markets dipped on weak demand. OSB prices actually slid about $10 to $15 per msf, and some mills started to show availability of some open-market cars. Contract buyers backed off their purchases as much as possible. The only thing that stopped the mills from dropping their prices further was the size of their order files, that in some cases, reached the end of June. We are not aggressively buying OSB (yet), because we feel that there is still some downside risk to the market. Plywood prices, on the other hand, remained mostly unchanged, as buyers were a bit more comfortable with the prices of rated sheathing plywood, than they were OSB. Specialty plywood items remained unchanged yet again.

Steel markets remained fairly soft. We have noticed fewer offerings for Mexican rebar, mainly due to the import duties being enforced by the US government. Imported rebar was readily available, however, out of the gulf ports at prices that were about $2 per cwt lower on an FOB delivered basis than domestic. We have actually seen prices drop under $40 per cwt for imported #4 and #5 rebar out of the port in Houston. Demand, however, remained a bit weak, so it isn’t unreasonable to think that prices could drop even further. We will see. Remesh producers continued to struggle to move their production, and prices remained weak.

11/20/2023

Good Morning! As is customary, Kruse Enterprises will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday this Thursday and Friday. PLEASE NOTE that the reload warehouses that we utilize might close early on Wednesday, 11/22. IF YOU WANT TO PICK UP MATERIAL ON THAT DATE, YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE YOUR TRUCK THERE IN THE MORNING. Of course, you are welcome to contact them if you wish to pick up in the afternoon.

Lumber markets remained stubbornly strong last week, and prices for most key commodity items moved higher, albeit by small amounts. 2x4 #2 SPF prices moved up another $5 or so in limited trading. Most mills were able to build enough of an order file going into December to resist any low-ball offers. Inland HF and DF 2x4 #2 prices also moved up by a similar amount. Even 2x4 #2 SYP, which had been falling hard 2 weeks ago, strengthened and moved up slightly. 2x4-16’ #2 in any specie remained especially difficult to find. Rumors continued to circulate that there is more Euro SPF on the way to the US, but so far, that has not been proven to be true. 2x6 #2 prices also strengthened, but pricing for it continued to trail comparable 2x4 by approximately $50 per mbf. Stud prices also showed modest strength. Inland SPF prices were especially strong across all trims. 2x6-8’ studs continued to be the worst-priced laggard, relative to the other items. Wide dimension prices remained flat but firm. Low grade prices remained mostly unchanged, but the mills were still willing to listen to counter offers to move volumes.

Panel markets remained in complete disarray yet again. 7/16” and 15/32” OSB prices moved up again in limited trading. The mills continued to rely on contracts to move their surplus volumes. They are now priced well above the retail prices being offered from the Home Centers, creating a reversed two-tiered market. This nonsensical stupidity has made it difficult for the independent distributors (like us) and independent retailers to remain competitive. At this point, something is going to have to give. The contract prices being offered to the giant dealers and distributors, which are based on Random Lengths published prices, have become completely unhinged, and the mills that have come to rely on them are leaving millions, if not billions of dollars on the table by allowing them to continue. In 2024, it will be interesting to see if the mills wake up and realize that they have been duped by these people. Strength in OSB pricing also lent strength to CDX plywood prices in both the western and southern regions. 4x8 15/32” CDX prices moved up by $5 per msf, and we are now starting to see a more limited availability from the mills. Premium and specialty panel prices remained mostly unchanged, but we have started to notice increased competition on these items from foreign producers.

Steel markets remained flat but firm for the week. News came out that scrap steel prices firmed up last month, and this pushed the domestic rebar producers to hold their prices, rather than chase the lower prices being quoted by the importers. Remesh prices also firmed up on the same news. At this point, we feel that the only thing holding steel prices down is the normal seasonal slowdown in building that we usually see at this time of the year. In January, it would not be surprising to see rebar and remesh price start to increase with strengthening steel demand worldwide. Of course, that remains to be seen, because a lot can happen between now and then.

Thank you! Have a great week and holiday!

11/07/2023

Good Afternoon!

Friday is the day that the federal government will be observing Veteran’s Day, even though the actual holiday falls on Saturday. We expect that banks and the post office will be closed on that day. For many, there is confusion between Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. Memorial Day (in May) is the day that we honor those who were killed while serving in the military. Veteran’s Day (in November) is the day that we honor all of those who served in the military, regardless of whether or not they gave their lives in the process of doing so. So, to all of you who have served your country, we say a special “thank you” on this day.

Lumber markets finally came to life last week, and prices rebounded, albeit only marginally. Mills were able to readily move their prompt inventories and raise their prices on production that is now out 2 weeks or longer. 2x4 #2 SPF prices moved up about $10 per mbf from the levels we were seeing a week earlier. Domestic 2x4 #2 WF and 2x4 #2 DF also moved up by the same amount. The only item in 2x4 #2 that continued to show weakness was SYP. Of course, we do not sell very much 2x4 #2 SYP in this market, because of its tendency to go crooked in our dry, hot desert southwest climate. 2x6 #2 prices continued to lag the price of 2x4, but it, too, came up about $10 last week. Wide dimension prices were firm, but mostly unchanged. 2x8 continues to be scarcer than 2x10 and 2x12. Stud prices were up modestly (around $5 per mbf), but the mills were able to book most of their prompt-shipping loads, and firm up their numbers. Low grade prices remained mostly unchanged, but the mills that we spoke with reported a much better tone in the overall market.

Panel prices were strong last week. OSB prices moved up yet again to the dismay of many buyers, who were expecting them to go lower due to lower housing demand, normal seasonal slowdowns, and expectations of lower demand going into next year. Nonetheless, most OSB mills sold all of their production through the month of November, and went OTM by Friday. Prices for 4x8 7/16” were up by another $25 per msf when they did so. In an interesting note, Randon Lengths publications, quoting the APA, said that total production of OSB for Canada and the US was actually down nearly 6% from 2022 to 2023 for the months of January through September. This could help explain why prices actually strengthened when they should have fallen. Plywood prices, although not as strong as OSB prices, nonetheless strengthened on better sales at the mill level. Premium and specialty plywood panel prices remained mostly unchanged yet again.

Steel prices continued to drift lower on weak demand. I know that we sound like a broken record, since prices have been sliding since last Spring, but things just have not really changed much. Last week, we saw rebar price drop by another $.50 per cwt at the port in Houston. Domestic mills also lowered their rebar prices, but they have been unable to keep up with the price changes being seen on imported stock at the ports. We continue to hold out hope that prices will stabilize soon, given the worldwide price of scrap metal, but so far, that has been a false hope. I think steel markets have been rocked by all of the turmoil being seen in the world right now, especially in Israel and Ukraine, and it won’t be long before some of the major producers have to start curtailing production to match demand. Remesh prices, like rebar, have continued to drift lower.

10/04/2023

Here are some pics from our 25th Anniversary Party on 10/2/23. Thanks everyone for joining us!

08/08/2023

Our 25th anniversary party is coming up in October. Invitations will be emailed this week. If you are interested in attending the party, and you do not receive an invitation via your email, check your junk box first, and then give us a call. The app. that we are using is new, and I am sure that we will run into a glitch or two. It should be a fun evening of socializing and reminiscing.

Lumber markets were quiet last week, and prices drifted lower on most key commodity items. Mills saw their order files shrink, and they were eager to build them back up by discounting prices. 2x4 #2 SPF, which had jumped by more than $50 per mbf through the prior 3 weeks, slipped by $20 or so last week. Studs were weak across most species and trims. For the first time in several months, we actually saw 2x4 104-5/8” trims being offered cheaper than 2x4 92-5/8” trims. This is probably because the home centers buy a significant volume of 92-5/8” trims under contract, so the mills did not need to go out to the open market to find orders on them. 2x6 #2, which had been a bit tighter than 2x4, finally showed some weakness, and prices slipped under 2x4 for the first time in several months. Wide dimension prices were flat, but the mills had loads readily available for prompt shipment. Low grade prices continued to be weak on soft demand. The only items in which prices seemed to be holding firm, were MSR lumber products for the truss plants. Limited supply seems to be holding these prices up, and we have not seen any cheaper bargains yet.

Panel prices finally leveled out and peaked from the torrid upward pace that they had been on for the last 2 months or so. OSB prices were flat last week, even though the mills were reluctant to look at any deep counters, due to the fact that they still have order files that reach into mid-August. If they do not book some heavier volumes this week, then I would expect prices to start coming down by the end of the week. Plywood prices also leveled off last week, in sympathy with OSB. The mills reported that activity was limited. Specialty panel prices did not change, but we did notice that the lead time for orders of AC’s, plyforms and other specialties was shorter than it had been just a few months ago.

Steel markets continued to languish last week. Rebar and Remesh prices drifted lower yet again on weaker overall demand and weaker scrap prices. We had forecasted that a bottom in pricing would come last week, but that did not happen. At this point, we are waiting for rebar prices to drop to $39 per cwt at the port, and we will probably step in and buy another block of trucks. I guess we will see what happens.

Have a great week!