The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) has been working closely with the Canadian federal government to help form policies and programs to keep forest products businesses operating, workers safe and the essential products supply chain moving forward, during the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
News in covid 19
German Log Exports Impacted by COVID-19 and Other Factors During First Half of 2020
The German log market has been extremely unpredictable during the first half of 2020. The year started with high demand from the export market and the supply of fresh green logs in tight supply.
Mercer Celgar Workers in Castlegar Return to Work
According to Rose Leslie, a spokesperson for Mercer Celgar, at least 215 of the workers laid off during the temporary shutdown of the Castlegar mill in the beginning of July, have returned to work as of July 31st.
No COVID-19 Cases Reported During British Columbia’s Seedling Planting Season
The Western Forestry Contractor Association (WFCA) is reporting that summer seedling planting season in British Columbia is in the process of winding down. There are just 20 million fall seedlings out of the 300 million trees planned for this year remaining to be planted.
Canadian Consumer Confidence on the Rise
According to the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, (BNCCI), a composite that measure the financial health and economic expectations, consumer sentiment in Canada turned positive for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with wide spread gains being experienced across regions and age groups.
Higher Lumber Prices Could Slow Housing Growth
Since mid-April 2020, the average lumber prices have surged an amazing 80%. Moving from a low of $348 per thousand board feet (MBM) to $ 627 MBM as of July 31st.
Canadian Housing Starts Jump 16% in July
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) is reporting that the annual pace of housing starts in July rose nearly 16% when compared with June.
Redfin Reports Bidding War on Homes Intensified in July
Redfin, the Seattle-based real estate brokerage is reporting that for the third straight month, more than half of its home offers faced competition (bidding war) in July.
COVID-19 Pandemic Slows Global Construction Activity in Q2 of 2020
According to the latest RICS Global Construction Monitor for Q2 2020, construction activity contracted across all region in Q2 due to the lockdowns to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus and the impact of social distancing on jobsite activity.
Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) for June 2020
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has posted its Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) for June 2020. According to the JOLTS report the number of job openings increased to 5.9 million as of the last business day of June.