MyReport                                                 

Appalachian Comments

GENERAL

Comments from October 2, 2026.

International business, primarily from China, has lost traction heading into fall. And there is little indication that European replenishing coming off the region’s vacation season will be materially, or even fractionally, stronger than any other shipping period, as contacts report fair-to-lower demand from the largest European markets. Domestic activity is neither better nor worse, holding at below-expected levels. Buyers are controlling purchases, even in a low sawmill production environment. Nearly all changes are lower in this edition, notably the listings for Fas&1f Soft Maple in all thicknesses and for each color designation. Ash and Hickory remain bright spots, though the dwindling Ash resource and Hickory’s relatively low share of total sawmill production are the main factors supporting price increases or limiting price declines.

ASH

Green Ash production is adequately meeting current demand for 4/4 and 6/4 items. However, markets want more 5/4 #1C&Btr and the listings are raised. Conversely, supplies of 8/4 Fas&1f exceed demand, warranting $10/MBF decreases to the listings. Kiln dried Ash moves well in all thicknesses and grades. Inventory growth for certain items tends to be minor and flushes out without concern. Information raises the low-end ranges for 4/4 #2A but reduces the low-end ranges for 5/4 Fas.

BASSWOOD

Mills are not eager to saw Basswood given current slow market conditions. Limited availability is outpacing limited demand for green 4/4 #1C and #2A, and the listings are lowered. All kiln dried listings and ranges are unchanged following last week’s $25 per thousand board feet ($/MBF) reduction to the net listings for 4/4 Fas.

BEECH

CHERRY

The pace and magnitude of Cherry price declines have slowed in recent weeks as sawmill production, yard purchasing, and kiln drying has downshifted, responding to cooling demand from China. The green 4/4 #1C and 8/4 Fas&1f listings are reduced in the North Central subregion, while all Appalachian subregion figures stand. Information lowers the listings for kiln dried Appalachian 4/4 Fas for a second straight week, but consecutive declines totaling $60/MBF don’t come close to erasing the increases that occurred over most of this year. Meanwhile, the listings for 4/4 #1C fall $20/MBF, the first declines in a month.

HICKORY

Contacts continue to report good demand for this species in all regions. Markets are absorbing Appalachian green common-grade output and want more 4/4 Fas&1f. Upward pressures are evident in reported prices and the 4/4 Fas&1f listings are raised accordingly. However, no other changes are required to remaining green figures or any kiln dried listings and ranges.

HARD MAPLE

#1C Hard Maple has started appearing on some producers’ lists of best-selling items, while Fas remains on lists of worst-moving items. This constitutes slow “progress” considering how producers struggled to move all grades in July, August, and early September. That said, certain green items are still oversupplied relative to tepid demand. The listings for 5/4 #1C are lowered in each color sort, while the listing for #1&2 White 4/4 #2A also declines. Markets for kiln dried Hard Maple lack energy even though a late-year rebound in demand isn’t uncommon, historically. The 6/4 Fas listings are lowered in each color sort, along with the low-end ranges for #1&2 White 4/4 #2A.

SOFT MAPLE

Supplies of green common-grade items are aligned with tepid demand, but Fas&1f availability clearly outpaces interest, and the 4/4 through 8/4 listings are reduced for both Sap&Btr and Unselected stock. Most reported kiln dried prices are holding steady, with previous reductions keeping all #1C&Btr listings in order for each color classification. However, supplies of 6/4 and 8/4 #2A exceed limited demand, requiring reductions to the listings and noted ranges.

#2&3A OAK

Monthly receipts at residential flooring plants have held up well into early October, coinciding with fair-to-stronger demand for most finished-good flooring items, including No. 2Com Red Oak and White Oak. Meanwhile, purchasing activity by truck trailer flooring plants has been steady-to-stronger in recent months, compared with the “up one month and down the next” tendencies in the first half of the year. According to FTR Transportation Intelligence, truck trailer orders surged 43% in August over July and were up 221% from a weak August 2025. Trailer builds rose 5% in August 2026 from July but were unchanged year over year. No changes are required to the 4/4 through 8/4 #2A&3A listings for either species.

RED OAK

Domestic business for Red Oak is little changed, leaning somewhat more tepid than decent. Chinese demand slowed in September from good levels in July and August, with relative sluggishness carrying into October. Contact opinions about the best- and worst-moving 4/4 grades are mixed, while a longtime exporter says all of his 5/4 Fas Red Oak sales are based on length. Observed and reported transactions reduce the listings for 5/4 Fas, 4/4 #1C, and 4/4 through 5/4 #2A. No changes are required to any green Red Oak figures.

WHITE OAK

Nine-foot and longer White Oak boards continue to move much easier than 7- and 8-foot lengths. One contact reports a $500 spread between shorter and longer-length stock, evidence of two distinct markets for uppers based on lengths. Random-length green and kiln dried White Oak sales are decent, but supply and demand imbalances remain weighted toward excesses, particularly for thicker-stock items. This is evident in reported 6/4 and 8/4 Fas&1f prices, prompting $30/MBF reductions to the respective listings. Information also reduces the listings for kiln dried 6/4 Fas and 4/4 #1C.

POPLAR

Mill output of #1C&Btr is aligned with stable demand and both grades are moving steadily to domestic moulding, millwork, and component manufacturers. A furniture manufacturer reports excess supply of #2A Poplar, but the combination of high lumber inventory levels and slow finished goods sales are keeping his receipts near replacement levels. Reported 4/4 #2A prices, including from large-volume users, are sufficient to lift the listing slightly off its 2026 low. On the dry side, demand is stronger for Fas than for #1C and #2A, though the only changes this week are $10/MBF reductions to the listings and low-end ranges for 4/4 #1C.

WALNUT

Wetter weather conditions of late have provided logging contractors with poor access to Walnut timber. Consequently, green lumber production has aligned more closely with reduced demand. Reported green prices are steady, warranting no changes to any listings this week. However, downward price pressure remains for kiln dried 4/4 Fas and 6/4 #2A, lowering the listings for the former and the listings and low-end ranges for the latter.

FRAMESTOCK, CANTS, TIES, & BOARD ROAD

Prime drying conditions for lumber tend to add to inventories of well air-dried framestock. Supplies are not outpacing demand, however, because tariffs on plywood imports have shifted some purchasing to Oak and Mixed Species framestock. Overall demand is still low, however, hampered by slow finished goods sales. Reported prices keep each range in check.

Manufacturers are reporting mixed pallet sales, adequate finished goods inventories, and adequate-to-lower raw material inventories. Mills sawing cants report no issues moving their full cant production to regular customers at prices well represented by the listing and range.

Tie buyers are increasingly concerned that the combination of sawmill capacity reductions this year and last and tie-producing mills reporting low log decks this fall will negatively impact their ability to procure enough ties for future needs. Presently, however, reported 7x9 tie prices are holding within ranges across each subregion.

Markets for board road in the Appalachian region lack the energy occurring the South, but are more mixed than slow, according to recent survey responses.

International Comments

GENERAL

Please see our graphs.