Following are excerpts from the July 2013 Hardwood Leader: Low mortgage rates, a better jobs market and higher consumer confidence are bolstering U.S. home sales and leading the economic recovery. Hardwood demand remains strong, and sawmills are increasing production where weather allows. However, we do not expect market growth in Q3 and Q4 to continue at the first-half pace. Cabinet sales have shown solid growth, but remodeling expenditures have fallen short of projections and residential construction growth has stalled. Flooring demand hasn’t let up, but manufacturers will soon fill inventories and feel less procurement pressure. Much is riding in whether Chinese demand holds strong in Q3, as in 2012, or slows down as in 2011. On the whole, lumber supplies will remain tight for another month, but production is coming in line with demand and price increases will trend towards stability. To see how you can benefit from Hardwood Leader forecasts, call 704-543-4408 to request a sample.