The commodity plywood market has seen a steady, if unspectacular, stretch this past month. Prices are inching upward—particularly for 15/32 4-ply, which has increased by $35–40 per thousand in the past three to four weeks. Other panel types have followed suit, although to a lesser degree. While this movement offers some price relief for mills, margins remain thin.
There’s no single reason for the firming prices, but we see seasonal momentum and low field inventories playing a key role. Customers are moving more wood as spring weather settles across most of the country. Still, most are keeping a cautious posture—purchasing week to week and holding lean inventories. Even in this measured environment, improved shipping and thinned-out mill inventories have given sales teams more confidence on pricing.
The Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) plywood market is trending similarly, with order files running a week or two longer than in the West. Recent mill closure announcements—one in the West, another in the Southeast—have likely influenced the market as well. These closures underscore the broader U.S. plywood supply challenges we’re all facing: high fiber costs, particularly in the West, and mounting pressure from cheaper imported plywood.
That’s why we continue to champion the Made in America movement. We believe it’s critical to prioritize and support U.S.-based manufacturing before turning to foreign suppliers. It’s not just a matter of economics. It protects jobs, sustains rural communities, and maintains the integrity of our domestic supply chain.
We’re encouraged by conversations at the federal level about increasing access to harvestable timber for Western mills. If that support translates into policy, it could provide some much-needed stability for sawmills and plywood plants across the region. We hope progress continues—and quickly. Every mill in the West needs it.
Elsewhere, the lackluster performance in dimension lumber and OSB markets is notable, particularly as we head into the unofficial start of building season over Memorial Day weekend.
For now, we’re in a grinding upward market for commodity plywood. It’s not a surge, but it’s steady. And for now, we’ll take it.
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