It is reported that the strong North American timber demand at the end of 2020 will continue to the beginning of 2021, and is expected to continue to the first half of 2021, mainly due to the improvement of housing affordability, the reduction of housing inventory and the aging of housing inventory.
It is estimated that in the first quarter of 2021, U.S. housing starts will exceed the level set in 2020. Wood demand in North America is expected to be further supported by continued high levels of maintenance and renovation activities, and growth in existing home sales is expected to drive spending in the sector, particularly in the * * quarter of 2021. At present, the increase of supply in North America and the growth of timber imports from Europe are still insufficient to offset the supply and demand gap in 2020.
As the Asian region continues to recover from the impact of the epidemic, Asian timber market demand, especially in Japan, is expected to remain stable in the first quarter of 2021.
In Europe, the pricing level in the first quarter of 2021 is expected to exceed that in the fourth quarter of 2020, reflecting a similar trend with the North American market. The increase in timber use in the construction industry is expected to further support demand across Europe in early 2021.
Post time: Mar-15-2021