Comments
Comments from June 12, 2026.
Promise took the form of green Ash uppers, green Hickory, and kiln dried Red Oak uppers in the South this week, but, realistically, hope remained limited to relatively small pockets. Markets for green #2A&3A Oak, long the mainstay of Southern hardwood mills, remain presently unmoved, while further pullbacks from tie buyers have increased pressure on the crosstie sector.
“Our situation is good, but our industry is so fragile right now,” one trusted contact said. “I’m two phone calls away, from two people, from having no plan B.” Outside those running larger, more diversified sawmills, he is not the only hardwood market participant who could say this in the South at the moment.
ASH: With little rain and continuing high temperatures, logging of lowland species like Ash is chugging along without issue. The supply of Ash logs to Southern sawmills remains consistent, but demand for the species is hardly creating the need for additional production. Contacts say Ash has been moving well of late, with green uppers the most popular. This is proven in reported prices this week, with increases in Fas&1f list prices, 4/4 through 8/4. No changes are warranted to the kiln dried figures.
#2A&3A OAK: The even market balance for green #2A&3A Oak stands for another week in the South, but destinations for sellers that have recently been dormant are reappearing. While residential flooring producers show no sign of changing their Oak purchasing habits, contacts note higher demand from certain trucker trailer flooring plants. There are plenty of White Oak and Red Oak logs around, so sawmills will be ready to respond if there is a broader rebound.
RED OAK: In general, Red Oak is not a great performer right now, though a longtime sawmill contact in Mississippi mentioned he is receiving plenty of interest for kiln dried 4/4 #1C. Reported prices back up his comments, with the listings and ranges moving upwards. The listings for 4/4 Fas also rise. With no changes to published prices this week, the supply and demand for green Red Oak remain closely balanced.
WHITE OAK: Markets for White Oak are sluggish. On both the green and kiln dried sides, there are Southern sawmills finding firm prices for their White Oak items, but this is not widespread. A retreat in demand drives big drops for the green 5/4 Fas&1f listings, with 6/4 and 8/4 #1C also down. On the kiln dried side, one contact said uppers are moving best for him, with common grades attracting less attention. Still, reported prices keep all the published figures intact except the lower ends of the 4/4 #2A ranges, which rise.
PECAN & HICKORY: Hickory has been a good performer in the Appalachian region of late, but that had not carried over to the South until now. Prices in observed business drive increases across the board, with all green 4/4 through 8/4 #2B&Btr listings moving up. Solid ongoing interest from flooring plants is understood to be behind the upward price movement.
POPLAR: The market for Poplar in the South could perhaps be summed up by the phrase ‘rocks and diamonds.’ Some items, like green #2A and #2B Poplar, are struggling, while others, like kiln dried thick stock, are performing well. Reported prices lead to decreases for green #2A and #2B across all thicknesses, while 6/4 and 8/4 #1C move upwards. For dry stock, there are gains to the lower ends of the ranges for 4/4 Fas as well as the listings for both 6/4 and 8/4 Fas. Meanwhile, both sides of the ranges for 4/4 #2A fall. International appetites are decent for Fas but lagging past levels for the common grades.
FRAMESTOCK, CANTS, TIES, & BOARD ROAD: It has been another quiet week, pricewise, for Southern industrials. Contacts across all three hardwood producing areas have told HMR/Fastmarkets that higher prices for pallet cants are popping up, though this is more pronounced in the Northern and Appalachian regions. The Southern cant listing and range do not change in this issue. The listing and range for board road also stand.
Reported prices show that the ranges for both varieties of framestock are in order, though business for those supplying secondary manufacturers has been healthy of late. “Framestock is not a small detail in the South,” an Arkansas sawmill operator said. “It’s not where it used to be, but it still makes a difference.”
Several contacts reported that tie buyers are going through another round of purchasing pullbacks, resulting in a decrease to the upper end of the crosstie range on the Western side of the Mississippi River.
Comments from June 12, 2026
Sales operations in the Appalachian region report that domestic markets for grade lumber aren’t materially better or noticeably worse than a month ago. Most producers continue to describe business in semi-favorable, neutral, or semi-negative terms, while adjectives used to describe the far ends of the spectrum, like “hot” or “doggish,” have seemingly disappeared, at least for now. Cherry, Hickory, and Ash continue to move at a relatively good pace. Certain White Oak items have not yet found their price floors. Kiln dried Red Oak pricing is holding its own, while #2A&3A prices trend lower. Chinese buyers are showing decent interest in US hardwoods. And the US housing market and associated demand for hardwood lumber continue to yawn. Lumber sellers are still splitting freight rate increases with buyers, who are purchasing mainly for short-term needs. The US conflict with Iran could end tomorrow and, in time, help lower inflation, or economic uncertainty could continue for months. The market feels overdue for a clearer directional trend that has yet to be determined.
ASH: Domestic demand for Ash is small relative to the volume that moves globally. However, exports of this species are down, with Q1 2026 shipments the lowest for any Q1 since 2009 and 3.6% below Q1 2025. That said, for all grades and thicknesses of green and kiln dried Ash, markets are absorbing developing supplies. Reported prices are steady and hold all the listings and ranges in place.
CHERRY: Sawmills are currently moving developing green production at steady-to-higher prices, in stark contrast with certain months last year when concentration yards weren’t purchasing much, or offering low prices, because sales to China were hampered by US-China tariff spats. Reported green Fas&1f prices are broadly higher, driving increases to the 4/4 through 8/4 listings in each producing region. The upper grades also have the most energy on the dry side. Increases are warranted to the Appalachian 4/4 and 5/4 Fas listings and ranges, with the listings and high-end ranges for 5/4 #2A also rising. In the North Central subregion, reported prices lift the listings for 5/4 Fas and high-end ranges for 5/4 #1C.
HICKORY: Hickory is selling well domestically. Residential flooring plants are purchasing healthy volumes of #3A&Btr amid brisk Hickory flooring sales, with purchase prices slightly higher this month than last. Many cabinet plants are consistently buying this species, along with manufacturers of moulding, tool handles, and drumsticks. After increases in prior weeks, printed green and kiln dried prices are representative of activity in the marketplace.
HARD MAPLE: Hard Maple makes several sellers’ lists of worst-moving species again this week. Supply recently exceeded demand but has become more balanced of late, aligning with the market’s reduced interest. Following a period of consistent declines, prices in observed business have not changed much in recent weeks. As such, most published green and kiln dried figures remain intact. However, prices in observed business necessitate reductions to the green 4/4 #1C listings in both color classifications along with increases to the #1&2 White 5/4 Fas&1f listings. In kiln dried, stronger 8/4 Fas prices raise the listings and ranges in both color classifications.
SOFT MAPLE: Demand remains strong for brown Soft Maple but has been waning for Sap&Btr, downshifting from good in early spring to “okay” for some and “not great” for others in early June. Production is highly concentrated in 4/4 because that is the thickness preferred by the cabinet sector, the largest market for this species. Cabinet sales, by volume, were down 10.3% year over year through April, according to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. Weakness is evident in reported green 4/4 Fas&1f prices, prompting reductions to the Sap&Btr and Unselected listings. Conversely, the green 4/4 #2A listings in both color sorts advance for a second straight week. Meanwhile, contacts report slower sales of kiln dried #1C and #2A than Fas. Downward price pressure is evident in reported 4/4 #1C transactions, and the listings are lowered for each color classification. All other kiln dried figures are unchanged.
#2A&3A OAK: Trends in #2A&3A Red Oak purchasing volumes by residential and truck trailer flooring manufacturers are mixed so far in June. Some large manufacturers have issued slightly fewer purchase orders compared to May, while others have issued slightly more. What most companies have in common are price reductions. Collectively, reports warrant decreases to all #2A&3A and #2A Alone Red Oak listings. Lack of steady competition from other buyers of similar material—namely treating plants looking to rein in crosstie inventories—continues the long-term downward trend in #2A&3A Red Oak prices. Reported #2A&3A White Oak prices require no changes to any listing in any thickness.
RED OAK: Several producers list Red Oak among their best-moving species, while a few others list it among their worst-moving. Transactions point out stable pricing for most kiln dried items. Only the 5/4 Fas listings notch gains. Reports about #2A&3A Red Oak supplies vary. Most end users of #2A&3A have ample to abundant inventories. One is not well situated with lumber but is not trying to accumulate any more given uncertain business conditions. The #2A&3A listings are reduced in all thicknesses, as are the listings for 4/4 #1C and #2A Alone.
WHITE OAK: Sales operations aren’t struggling to garner interest in 4/4 and 5/4 White Oak. However, thick-stock, upper-grade inventories have become somewhat problematic over the last few weeks, rising amid softening demand. Information reduces the 6/4 Fas listings and low-end ranges and also necessitates steep declines to the high-end ranges for 8/4 Fas for a second consecutive week. Separately, the top sides of the 5/4 #1C ranges notch gains. Green inventories of most items are not overwhelming, but more 4/4 and 8/4 #1C have entered the marketplace, tipping the supply/demand balance toward excess supply. Those listings are lowered accordingly.
POPLAR: Demand is strongest for upper-grade Poplar, followed by #1C and #2A, as has been the case all year. Domestic sales of #1C&Btr are fair to distributors but range from slow to good to the moulding/millwork and wood component sectors. Concerns about additional green output adding downward pressure on Fas&1f prices did materialize, prompting reductions to the 4/4 through 10/4 Fas&1f listings over the prior two weeks. However, information warrants no additional changes to those listings in this edition and holds all other green figures steady. Most kiln dried Poplar moves as produced at steady prices, though reports prompt increases to the high-end ranges for 6/4 #1C and decreases to the high-end ranges for 6/4 #2A.
WALNUT: Walnut makes neither the list of best nor worst-moving species in survey responses this week. The green pricing matrix for this species has been quiet of late, coming off large declines earlier this spring that coincided with plentiful log supplies and high production. Overall, there are significant differences in Walnut demand and pricing based on grading rules used, color sorts, and lengths. All the printed green and kiln dried figures are representative of current market conditions.
FRAMESTOCK, CANTS, TIES, & BOARD ROAD: Suppliers of hardwood framestock are landing orders for their limited production. The Oak and Mixed Species framestock ranges accurately reflect reported transactions.
Steady business for pallet cants continues. Despite concerns that low demand for ties would push more material into cants and subsequently lower prices, prices obtained this week have an upward bias. The cant listing and range advance, marking the first increases since August 15, 2025.
Railroads typically increase black tie installations during warm weather months. However, treaters have more than enough inventory to cover any seasonal uptick that might occur, as shown by continued enforcement of widespread quotas. Information shows fewer total reported 7×9 crosstie transactions but stable pricing.
Board road production is not excessive for the current rate of demand. The board road listing and range are in order.
Comments from June 12, 2026.
Most market participants in the Northern region are reporting rising log supply, as the messy weather conditions of early spring are mostly in the rearview mirror. Red Oak supply is likely to expand in the near term because of the typical seasonal shift toward increased production of the species. Furthermore, the recent runup in Red Oak prices will also incentivize production. Markets for Soft Maple and White Oak lumber are currently facing downward supply-side pressure, and increased log supply could further weigh on prices for these species going forward.
A green sawmill operator in the Upper Midwest told HMR/Fastmarkets that, though his lumber is still moving, he is currently unable to sell it for a profit. “This spells big trouble for green sawmills,” he said. “I think that green sawmills are a thing of the past or will be.”
One recent positive from a producer’s perspective is firming prices for pallet lumber and cants. Nearly all Northern region contacts involved in that sector have described it as “good” in the past two weeks, and reported prices for several items have been firming on the back of stronger demand.
ASH: Published prices for both green and kiln dried Ash in the Northern region are up substantially since the start of this year. The Emerald Ash Borer is keeping supplies of the species tight, providing persistent upward pressure to prices, which are at or near the highest levels since September 2022. Strong demand from China for kiln dried #2A&Btr Ash has continued. Comments on domestic demand have been more mixed. Some contacts in the Upper Midwest are having trouble moving the species, while one seller in Michigan reported “serious price increases” for certain Ash items, though he doesn’t think those prices are representative of the broader market. The kiln dried 4/4 #1C high-end range numbers are raised this week, the only changes to any Ash listings or ranges.
BASSWOOD: No producers in the Northern region have listed Basswood among their bestsellers in the past three weeks. But at the same time, hardly any have listed it among their worst sellers. Prices reported this week are consistent with the current listings; the only adjustments in order are slight increases to the kiln dried 4/4 Fas high-end range numbers and the 4/4 #1C low-end range figures. One sales contact in Michigan reported an unexpected spike in export demand for the species to Asia at higher prices. Prices, especially for Fas, remain length-dependent, with 4/4 8-foot boards reportedly selling at a premium over 10- and 12-foot boards.
BIRCH: No contacts in the Northern region who have been surveyed over the past three weeks have listed Birch among their bestsellers, while a handful of producers in Eastern Canada have listed it among their worst sellers. Nearly all demand for the species is centered on Sap&Btr or Red color designations, and there is hardly any market for Unselected Birch. The listings and ranges this week hold soft at weak levels amid consistent reported prices.
HARD MAPLE: Producers in Eastern Canada reported flat-to-softer prices for Hard Maple this week, while those in the Upper Midwest reported flat-to-firmer prices, including some sizeable increases for kiln dried #1&2 White 6/4 and 8/4 Fas. Markets for the species in the two subregions are diverging a bit, leading to wider price ranges for some items. Hard Maple is still a commonly listed bestseller for producers in both areas. Several adjustments are in order this week: The kiln dried #1&2 White 6/4 and 8/4 Fas listings and high-end ranges along with several #1C range numbers in both color designations are raised. The low-end range numbers for both color selections of 5/4 Fas and #1&2 White 6/4 Fas fall along with the ranges for #2A items in both color classifications.
SOFT MAPLE: The listings for green Unselected 4/4 through 8/4 Fas&Sel Soft Maple fall for a third straight week, as abundant supply continues to weigh on prices. And after holding steady the past two weeks, lower reported prices this week lead to drops in the corresponding green Sap&Btr listings. For kiln dried stock, the 4/4 #1C&Btr listings edge down in both color selections, while the Sap&Btr 4/4 #2A listings tick up. Broadly, the market for Soft Maple in the Northern region is under downward pressure because of excess supply, but comments have been mixed in terms of how the species is moving. Several producers in the Upper Midwest and Eastern Canada have recently listed Soft Maple among their bestsellers. At the same time, one major producer in Michigan listed Sap&Btr Soft Maple among its worst sellers this week. Other producers have told HMR/Fastmarkets that they have noticed a recent slowdown in demand for Sap&Btr Fas, which was a hot item earlier in spring.
RED OAK: Red Oak continues to move well for most Northern sales operations, including a steady mix of domestic and export business. Comments have been particularly positive regarding demand for kiln dried #2A; the listings and ranges for those items rise this week, along with several other high-end range numbers. Prices for the species have been trending up since February. This sort of first-half-of-the-year rise is historically common for Red Oak. However, prices then tend to slide in the second half of the year because of a seasonal increase in production. Several contacts have noted this in recent conversations, so a potential drawdown in Red Oak prices is something to watch heading into the summer.
WHITE OAK: White Oak prices in the Northern region are working to find a floor, with reported information continuing to edge lower. The green 4/4 through 6/4 Fas&Sel listings fall again this week, along with the kiln dried 4/4 #1C listings and low-end range numbers, and the 4/4 #2A listings and high-end range numbers. The green 4/4 Fas&Sel listings have fallen consistently since January 2025 and are now at their lowest levels since March 2024. The listings have not notched gains since October 2024. Persistent oversupply from reduced consumption by the barrel stave sector has stymied the market for roughly a year-and-a-half. Prices have been more stable since April but continue to be bid down, despite contacts reporting increased buying activity for the species. Certain producers with lots of long boards or lumber with minimal sapwood have reported a recent rise in prices for their Fas loads, but producers selling random width and length loads are still facing a softening market.
PALLET LUMBER, CANTS, TIES, & BOARD ROAD: Sawmills have recently seen an increase in demand for pallet lumber, with nearly all Northern contacts surveyed in recent weeks describing interest from this sector as “good.” This jump in demand has been reported by producers in both the Upper Midwest and Eastern Canada. The cant listing and all pallet lumber listings and most range numbers rise this week, except for random-width 6/4 pallet lumber, which holds steady.
Business conditions for railroad ties are steady, as treaters are maintaining strict purchasing quotas at steady prices for most suppliers.
Reported board road prices are consistent with the current listing. A producer in the Midwest told HMR/Fastmarkets that his company has recently been busy with orders from powerline maintenance activities, as well as AI data center construction projects.
Comments from June 12, 2026.
Residential flooring manufacturers are trying to sell 2¼” and 3¼” Sel&Btr White Oak and end the steep concessions that have been required to keep volumes moving at a steady pace. In an overall market that has lagged expectations, attempts to accomplish these tasks invoke the idiom of “knowing when to say when.”
Sel&Btr White Oak flooring typically has the best profit margin of any grade and species combinations. Accordingly, flooring plants are eager to make more if demand supports the additional output. So far in 2026, White Oak lumber has been readily available at competitive prices, helping plants maintain or feel comfortable with profit margins even as Sel&Btr White Oak flooring prices have been falling. The listings have declined more than 20 cents in each producing region and for each width.
Some manufacturers are following that game plan while simultaneously acknowledging that, at some point, discounting becomes unsustainable because raw material prices eventually rise. One manufacturer says its inventories of 2¼” and 3¼” Sel&Btr White Oak are slowly shrinking. If this trend of inventory reduction continues at that plant, the pace of price concessions will slow or disappear. Other producers will likely follow that trend.
Reported information warrants further reductions to most of the listings and range figures for Sel&Btr White Oak flooring this week. Flooring plants are also offering concessions for 3¼” No. 1Com Red Oak; declines in both listings and the high-end range number align with comments that it is the only slow-moving Red Oak item. In contrast, data lift most range numbers for Sel&Btr Red Oak, which continues to move well. The 2¼” Sel&Btr Appalachian Red Oak listing also advances, as do the Southern listing and the low-end range figure for 3¼” No. 1Com White Oak. Demand for No. 1Com and No. 2Com White Oak is reportedly strong in each width, while 4” and 5” White Oak flooring reportedly moves easily at decent prices.
Looking ahead, some elements necessary for maintaining or increasing business will likely soften. School is out, the summer vacation season is starting, consumer spending will likely shift toward outdoor seasonal activities and away from interior home remodeling projects, including new hardwood flooring.
May 29, 2026
