Since mid-March and during the whole month of April, West Fraser considerably curtailed its sawn timber and plywood production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, production has been mainly normal again with only a few production sites not being back at full capacity yet.
When it comes to sawn timber, both prices and volumes saw a recovery compared to the end of the first quarter, especially those of SYP (Southern Yellow Pine). According to the company, the continued high demand for certain assortments – especially those used for repair works – was remarkable.
West Fraser expects that demand for wood products is going to remain volatile at least for the rest of the year as a result of the ongoing economic and other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
