West Fraser B.C. Sawmills Announce Temporary Production Curtailments

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): West Fraser Timber Company Limited announced temporary production curtailments at two of its B.C. sawmills. The curtailment at Chasm and 100 Mile House mills will be for duration of approximately two weeks. The company cited ongoing challenges on account of falling lumber prices in global markets, rising log costs and constrained timber supplies as the reasons for the curtailment.

The SPF lumber production is expected to witness a decline of approximately 20 million board feet, due to the latest curtailment of operations.

This is not the first time this year that West Fraser has curtailed production at B.C. facilities. Earlier in January this year, it had announced temporary curtailments of approximately three weeks during the initial quarter of the year at three of its sawmill facilities in Chasm, 100 Mile House, and Chetwynd. In addition, it had shut down the Williams Lake sawmill facility for a period of one week towards completion of capital upgrades at the plant. The above mentioned curtailments had impacted the SPF lumber production by the company by nearly 50 million board feet.

The curtailment during the holiday period towards end-2018 at four of its B.C. sawmills in Chasm, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake and Chetwynd had reduced SPF lumber production by 25 million board feet during the previous year.