Lumber Rises to One-Month High

Lumber futures rose to $540 per thousand board feet, their highest level in nearly a month, as Hurricane Isaias threatened supplies across key producing regions. The storm swept through the US Gulf Coast, causing major power outages in Alabama and Mississippi, both significant lumber-producing states, raising concerns over supply disruptions and pressuring prices. Lumber supplies were already constrained by escalating trade tensions between the US and Canada. Ottawa had announced counter-tariffs of 25% on US lumber and 50% on plywood in response to US tariffs on several lumber-related products. US forestry groups have long accused Canada of distorting the market, arguing that the largely public owned Canadian forestland gives domestic producers a cost advantage. However, gains remain tempered by weakness in the US housing market. Mortgage rates have climbed to 7.4%, their highest in nearly three years, raising borrowing costs for homebuyers and weighing on housing demand.