Appalachian Comments

GENERAL

Comments from January 30, 2026.

New orders for hardwood lumber are picking up for some sales operations as January winds down. Others report just “a bit more activity” or no change from fall levels and say they have no expectations of improvement over the next few months. Some secondary manufacturers indicate business conditions haven’t shown noticeable improvement, which is fairly typical for this time of the year. Prices for most items are holding steady, while those that are changing are more related to limited supply than higher demand. Truck trailer flooring plants are increasing purchases of #2A&3A Oak after slowing receipts in the last few months. The shift is attributed to fleet owners purchasing more trailers because they feel more comfortable with the trade and regulatory environments. Sawmill contacts are wary of talk of declining momentum in the crosstie sector, though actual price and volume changes for Appalachian producers have been limited thus far. Logging conditions have improved with colder weather in parts of the region. Some sawmills lament rising prices for standing timber and logs: one sawmiller estimates his timber/log prices have risen 10 to 20% over the last year, while his lumber price increases haven’t kept pace, and some have come down. Year-end 2025 employee retirements have strained some sawmills, yards, and wood products manufacturers, increasing workloads for remaining workers.

ASH

Sawmills in areas with good Ash log supplies have no issues moving their full production and keeping up with their customers’ needs. Other mills, however, have decided the battle against the Emerald Ash Borer isn’t worth it because it can take weeks to develop a full load if logs are scarce or are of poor quality. Green prices are steady, while the listings for kiln dried 4/4 Fas and #2A are raised.

BASSWOOD

Low production of this species matches low consumption in the US, Canada, and foreign markets. Accordingly, sawmills have little incentive to produce much Basswood beyond meeting the needs of their relatively few core customers. Colder weather allows mills to stockpile Basswood logs longer before sawing them. Together, these factors are working to constrain production and keep inventories low. Prices for both green and kiln dried stocks are unchanged.

BEECH

CHERRY

Chinese markets for Cherry gained momentum in late fall, allowing sawmillers to bleed off excess inventories that accumulated over the summer and increase production. That momentum has slowed more recently, however, and Cherry is again making some sellers’ lists of worst-moving items. Cherry shipments to other export markets are extremely limited and domestic demand is sluggish, offering no real competition to offset demand shifts from China. Cherry price changes are not as active this week as in prior weeks, but reports lift the listings for green 4/4 #1C and #2A in the North Central producing region. Kiln dried pricing is unchanged from recent weeks, allowing all listings and ranges to stand.

HICKORY

Sawmill and yard contacts report improving demand for this species amid relatively low production. While some residential flooring plants brought in less Hickory in January than in December, others maintained consistent receipts and paid somewhat higher prices. Incoming price reports warrant increases to the listings for green 4/4 through 8/4 #2A and lift the low end ranges for kiln dried 4/4 Fas.

HARD MAPLE

Concentrations yards are actively purchasing green #1C and #2A Hard Maple but remain cautious with Fas&1f purchasing. Prices for green #1C show an upward bias, and the 4/4 through 8/4 listings are raised in both color designations. Markets for kiln dried 4/4 #1C are oversupplied, however, and lower reported prices prompt reductions to the listings in both color sorts. Longer-length brown Hard Maple remains in short supply, according to one cabinet manufacturer.

SOFT MAPLE

Sellers report good activity for upper-grade Sap&Btr Soft Maple. Interest in #1C and #2A lags Fas&1f but is not lethargic, with decent volumes moving to cabinet and component manufacturers. Shipments to wood furniture factories have increased, though forthcoming surveys will determine whether this becomes a trend or is temporary and limited, since sales to the furniture sector were slow last year. Yards are matching suppliers’ asking prices to ensure adequate on-hand supplies of 4/4. Markets are showing less interest in green 5/4 and 6/4 Fas&1f, and the Sap&Btr and Unselected listings are reduced to better reflect observed pricing.

#2&3A OAK

Truck trailer orders rebounded strongly in December, rising 86% from sluggish November totals. Trailer order deferrals from September through November shifted to new actual orders in December, following better clarity surrounding Class 8 tariffs and 2027 EPA regulations, according to FTR Transportation Intelligence. In response, truck trailer flooring operations are purchasing larger volumes of #2A&3A Oak, increasing competition for available material. Residential flooring plants bought roughly as much #2A&3A Red Oak in January as December. Purchases of #2A&3A White Oak rose slightly for some residential flooring plants in January but were lower at others, with several reporting growing inventories of certain White Oak flooring items. No changes are warranted to the #2A&3A Oak listings or to the listing for #2A Alone Red Oak.

RED OAK

Domestic business is seasonally slow for Red Oak. The reported uptick in Chinese purchasing in November and December has worn off some in January, partly because exporters have less time to get containers on the water for delivery to Chinese ports before the start of Chinese New Year in mid-February. Still, Red Oak makes more sellers’ lists of best-moving than worst-moving species, with interest stronger for #1C&Btr than for #2A. Some contacts report slightly lower Red Oak prices, and one producer said he is getting better prices for 7/4 than for 8/4 Fas. The listings for 4/4 Fas fall back and the low ends of the 8/4 #1C ranges advance. All the other kiln dried figures remain intact. Broadly speaking, green Red Oak output is balanced with buyers’ needs.

WHITE OAK

US White Oak log exports were down 16.8% year-over-year through October, resulting in more logs available for sawing domestically and, in turn, increasing volumes of green and kiln dried stocks in the marketplace. Most green production moves quickly. However, a concentration yard buyer states #1C&Btr prices are “all over the board,” and a wood products manufacturer says #3A&Btr has been readily available over the last month. The only changes to the published green figures subtract from the listings for 4/4 Fas&1f. Information also warrants reductions to the listings and ranges for kiln dried 4/4 Fas, the listings for 5/4 #2A, and the low end ranges for 5/4 #1C.

POPLAR

Domestic moulding and millwork manufacturers are in the market for steady quantities of Poplar. Meanwhile, exports of this species are weaker to several global markets, with year-over-year declines through October to Vietnam, China, and Mexico—the largest global markets for Poplar during the same period last year. Production is staying aligned with demand for most grades and thicknesses, but lower reported prices prompt reductions to the 6/4 through 16/4 Fas&1f listings. The only kiln dried changes drop the low end ranges for 4/4 #2A.

WALNUT

US sawmills continue to battle export markets for available Walnut logs, often losing out to Asian buyers paying higher prices. Brisk Walnut log exports are limiting domestic lumber production. The last few months have seen hefty increases in many Walnut lumber prices. Demand and supply are in relative balance, at least this week, keeping all the published figures intact.

FRAMESTOCK, CANTS, TIES, & BOARD ROAD

Production of Oak and Mixed Species framestock is quite low but is aligned with the market’s very limited needs. No changes are required to the ranges.

Reports about business for wood pallet manufacturers are consistent; sales are fair and most have adequate cant inventories. The cant listing and range are in order.

Tie purchasing dipped in each of the last five Februarys, with the February 2025 decline particularly steep (Railway Tie Association), portending another slowdown in February 2026 if history repeats. Incoming price reports hold steady in both Appalachian sub-regions this week. No changes are warranted following last week’s reduction to the high end range for Southern Appalachian 7x9 crossties.

Competition for center-of-the-log material from the board road sector continues to lack energy in early 2026, as it did throughout most of last year. Production is not excessive for the current rate of slow demand. The listing and range remain intact.

International Comments

GENERAL

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