Wood fiber costs fell in the US South and the US Northwest in the 1Q/09 as pulpmills were taking extensive downtime, reports WRI.

Press release – For Immediate Release Seattle, USA. April 2009 Wood fiber costs fell in the US South and the US Northwest in the 1Q/09 as pulpmills were taking extensive downtime, reports WRI. Wood fiber costs have diminished in all regions of the US this... More

Press release – For Immediate Release Seattle, USA. April 2009 Wood fiber costs fell in the US South and the US Northwest in the 1Q/09 as pulpmills were taking extensive downtime, reports WRI. Wood fiber costs have diminished in all regions of the US this year as the decline in fiber demand by the pulp industry has been greater than the reduction of residual chips supply from the sawmilling sector. The past six months, pulpwood costs have fallen about 10% in the US South and 20% in the US Northwest, according to the North American Wood Fiber Review. Pulpmills and sawmills took a great deal of market-related downtime in the 4Q/08 and 1Q/09 with no region of North America being immune to the deteriorating markets for most forest products. Market pulp production in North America was 29% lower in December 2008 than in the same month in 2007. The operating rate was a record-low 69% in December, which can be compared to 87% in Europe and 85% worldwide. Lumber production, and residual Less