Timberline Wood Markets
Operating Capacity RegisterNo. 5 · October 2026
Operating Capacity Register · North American softwood lumberData to 30 September 2026
British Columbia curtailments pull running capacity to 81 percent
Tracked mills ran at 81 percent of rated softwood lumber capacity in September, down two points on August. Interior British Columbia took most of the cut
1Running capacity by region
The register tracks 57.5 billion board feet of rated softwood lumber capacity across the United States and Canada. At the end of September, 46.5 billion board feet of it was running, 1.2 billion less than at the end of August.1
| Region | Rated | Running | Running rate | Change on Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US South | 22.4 | 19.5 | 87% | +1 pt |
| US West | 15.0 | 12.3 | 82% | Down 1 pt |
| Eastern Canada | 9.4 | 7.7 | 82% | Down 2 pts |
| BC Interior | 8.6 | 5.6 | 65% | Down 11 pts |
| BC Coast | 2.1 | 1.4 | 67% | Down 4 pts |
| North America | 57.5 | 46.5 | 81% | Down 2 pts |
Source: producer releases, SEC and SEDAR+ filings, state WARN notices, provincial records, Timberline Wood Markets mill directory and estimates
Source: producer releases, SEC and SEDAR+ filings, state WARN notices, provincial records, Timberline Wood Markets mill directory and estimates
2Curtailments, restarts and closures in September
Eight events changed running capacity in September. Interior British Columbia accounted for 900 million board feet of the net 1.2 billion reduction, as producers cited log costs and harvest permits. One Gulf South mill restarted after a planned rebuild.2
| Mill | Region | Event | Capacity | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension mill | BC Interior | Closure | 310 | Announced 15 Sep |
| Stud mill | BC Interior | Indefinite curtailment | 260 | From 8 Sep |
| Dimension mill | BC Interior | Cut to one shift | 180 | 22 Sep to 31 Oct |
| Two stud mills | BC Interior | Extended curtailment | 150 | Through October |
| Coastal mill | BC Coast | Curtailment | 100 | From 1 Sep |
| Southern pine mill | US South | Restart | 200 | From 2 Sep |
| Douglas fir mill | US West | Closure | 200 | Announced 3 Sep |
| Spruce mill | Eastern Canada | Curtailment | 200 | From 15 Sep |
Source: producer releases, SEC and SEDAR+ filings, state WARN notices, provincial records, Timberline Wood Markets mill directory and estimates
3Capacity standing idle
Eleven billion board feet of rated capacity was not running at the end of September. Interior British Columbia now holds the largest idle volume of any region, despite having the fourth largest rated base.
Source: producer releases, SEC and SEDAR+ filings, state WARN notices, provincial records, Timberline Wood Markets mill directory and estimates
4Against our Framing Lumber Composite
5What to watch in November
Whether the Interior shift cut ends on 31 October as announced, restart notices from two US West mills idled since spring, and the next administrative review rate on Canadian lumber entering the United States.
How this register is built
- Every mill in the firm's directory carries a rated capacity, a status and a dated record of each curtailment, restart, closure or expansion
- Announced and revised dates are both kept, so a curtailment extended twice shows three dates
- Every event traces to a release, filing, WARN notice or provincial record held on file for subscribers who ask
Approved for subscribersGarrett LindqvistDirector of Lumber Research · 9 October 2026
1 Running capacity is rated capacity less announced curtailments, closures and verified downtime, annualized. Rated capacity comes from the firm's mill directory.
2 A restart counts only when a producer confirms production or a state or provincial record shows crews recalled.