China's hungry demand for PNW timber.
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OregonSawyer
ArboristSite Operative
It's really killing our mills. The log buyer for the mill I used to work at was telling me about a recent conference he went to where they were discussing this very thing. From what I gathered China is doing a lot of subsidized labor right now trying to curb the unemployment over there. A lot of these subsidized jobs include milling lumber (in a very primitive way). Most of these little "backyard" outfits only saw a total of 4 logs a day but there are SO many of them they are constantly in need of more logs. Timber prices are starting to get so out of control that it's going to threaten the last remaining mills that don't also own logging outfits. Even a mill such as the one I used to work at that cuts a lot of specialty timbers and very high dollar items (as far as doug fir goes) is really struggling to keep their heads above water. If the spike in timber prices continue it won't be long before the cost of logs alone will be worth more than the lumber and byproducts extracted from them.
The mill here has been shut down for two weeks. They own some Forest Service timber but can't get in to that until after July 1...Spotted Owl restrictions.
Federal timber here is not supposed to be exported. There is not enough under contract to keep them going though.
Federal timber here is not supposed to be exported. There is not enough under contract to keep them going though.
paccity
Addicted to ArboristSite
i know there realy knockin them down around here. the amount of loads going by my place has greatly increased in the last month orso . need to go boondockin soon and see where there pullin it out of. makes for a good destress.
nw axe man
ArboristSite Operative
Yeah, the Morton mill is down this week. They don't know from week to week what's going to happen.
The cost of the logs is already more than what the lumber they produce is. If mills don't own their own timber they're in a world of hurt and it's going to get worse. People in this economy are already hurting as the dollar just plain doesn't go as far as it used to. It's not a good situation for sure.
