Market News of Note

St. Stephen will lose 60 to 75 jobs by the end of the year because particleboard operations at the Arauco plant will be shutting down.

Tolko says its Armstrong, Lumby and Heffley Creek operations in British Columbia will see shift reductions as volatile conditions continue to plague the province's lumber industry.

The former Resolute pulp and paper mill in Fort Frances, Ont., could produce cannabis or even specialty packaging materials, according to the site's new owner.

Almost four years ago, the Old Town pulp mill was shut down. Nearly 200 workers were affected. But last fall, a subsidiary of a Chinese company purchased the mill, and now it has come back to life.

The curtailment is expected to reduce Conifex's US South lumber production by approximately 21 million board feet to the end of the year.

Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. has announced two week curtailments at its sawmill operations in Prince George, Vanderhoof and Fort St. James starting August 19.

Wisconsin's paper industry is alive and well, according to a new state report. A recent study shows the Badger State's paper industry leads the nation in many economic measures.

Canfor is extending the curtailment at the Taylor pulp mill into September.

Canfor Corporation announced further capacity reductions at two of its British Columbia sawmills with an indefinite curtailment at its Mackenzie sawmill and the permanent elimination of one shift at its Isle Pierre sawmill.

Stora Enso has initiated feasibility studies for a possible cross laminated timber (CLT) unit in connection with its Ždírec mill in the Czech Republic and a new construction beam unit to be located at the Ybbs mill in Austria.

As a result of the temporary and permanent curtailments of production announced to date, West Fraser expects lumber production in 2019 to be at least 600 million board feet lower than 2018.

U.S. log exports to Vietnam jumped 39.8% to 110.1 thousand m3 with export value expanded 46.9% to $40.2 million.

Between January and May, U.S. pellet exports jumped 14.8% y-o-y to 2.5 million m3 with export value expanded 17.4 % to $349.4 million, according to USDA data.

The number of persons affected is 155 and paper machine 10 in Plattling will be permanently closed by mid July 2019.

Approximately 160 employees will be impacted by this curtailment.

Kruger Inc. is receiving a $13.8 million investment from the federal government for biomass and recycled paper projects in Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Brompton, Quebec, respectively.

From January through April, Chinese log imports from New Zealand jumped 21.8% y-o-y to 5.6 million m3 with import value $787.9 million, according to China Customs data.