Lumber prices across North America held steady in mid-August, even as softwood duties, wildfires, and volatile futures weighed on market sentiment. The benchmark Western Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF) 2×4 #2&Btr KD (RL) remained at US$533 per thousand board feet for the week ending 15 August, flat from the previous week. This represents a 5% increase from a month earlier and a 43% rise from the same week in 2024. Canadian sawmills raised prices to offset part of the 35% duty on US-bound softwood shipments, but weak downstream demand led buyers to favor ...