From consumer sentiment and housing starts to lumber markets and European producers, the economic fallout from the Iran conflict is increasingly showing up across the forest sector. In related news: the US added 115k jobs in April; BC lost 40k jobs year-to-date; Canadian Home Buiders expect big drops in housing starts; and Taiga reported Q1 net earnings of $9M.

In Wood Product news: a YouTube series on what it takes to turn a tree into a world class building; Freres pushes forward with new mass timber projects; and a Brazil tree may fight COVID-19. In Forestry news: FPAC welcomes Canada’s move to address transportation supply chain challenges; Ontario invests $5M to support forest-based biofuels; Washington state confronts cash crunch due to logging deferrals; and UK’s falling tree nursery production suggests confidence woes. 

Finally, today marks the start of International Pulp Week in Vancouver—two days of market intelligence, informed dialogue, and strategic connections across the global pulp supply chain. Keep your eye on the Frog for conference coverage throughout the week.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor