By Mark Smith,
Partner, FEA; Research by
Chari Gimenez, FEA Canada

In 2024, total Canadian lumber shipments increased by 2.0 percent from 2023, having dropped by a combined 3.3 billion board feet in the preceding two years of 2022 and 2023. This provided some optimism that 2024 was the beginning of a turnaround for Canadian lumber production. Alas, that has not proven to be the case for 2025. Total Canadian shipments were down by 1.035 billion board feet (BBF) in 2025, representing a 5.1 percent drop over 2024 shipment volumes, according to leading forest industry research company, FEA (www.getfea.com).

Total North American lumber shipments: down 1.4 percent

In 2025, total North American lumber shipments were 56.217 BBF, a decrease of 1.4 percent over volumes in 2024 (56.998 BBF). The 2024 total shipments were similar to 2023, and this gave some optimism that we were at the bottom of this falling cycle, effectively ending an ongoing decline since 2021. However, this has not proven to be the case given the further decreases in shipments seen across North America in 2025, that amounted to a total difference of 781 million board feet (MMBF).

Interestingly, this has played out differently in 2025 than in 2024, for Canada and the U.S. In 2024, Canadian shipments increased over 2023, whereas U.S. shipments decreased. In 2025, we see the opposite occurring. Canadian shipments are down significantly, by 5.1 percent for 2025, versus 2024. U.S. shipments, on the other hand, have shown a modest increase of 0.7 percent for 2025 compared to 2024. The extended uncertainty about where the Trump tariffs would ultimately end up having a significant impact on this turnaround.

Although Canadian lumber production was down for 2025, there were still some moves in the industry, including family-owned, Kelowna, B.C.-based Gorman Group buying Weyerhaeuser’s Princeton, B.C. mill and timber licence assets for $120 million.

Canadian Top 10 Lumber Producers: shipments down significantly by 9.0 percent from 2024 to 2025

As we also saw last year, the Canadian Top 10 companies saw no new entrants in 2025 with the same 10 companies present as in the 2024 top 10. The second and third companies switched places and there were some minor changes of place in the #8 to #10 rankings. Essentially three companies moved up one place from 2024 to 2025, these being Domtar (now #2), Weyerhaeuser (now #8) and Dunkley Lumber (now #9). Canfor moved down by one place (now #3) and Arbec down by two places (now #10).

When we look at the production of these same Top 10 companies in 2025 versus 2024, production dropped by an incredible 9.0 percent from 13.294 BBF to 12.103 BBF. Given this was a larger decrease than total Canadian shipments, this means that the top 10 companies’ share of the total Canadian output declined from 65.7 percent in 2024 to 63.1 percent in 2025. This follows a similar drop in share of total shipments for the top 10 companies in 2024, given their share in 2023 was 68.0 percent.

The top three Canadian producers in 2024—West Fraser, Canfor, Domtar—–kept the same rankings through 2025 although Canfor and Domtar switched positions, as noted above. These top three producers accounted for 5.864 BBF in 2025 and almost 31 percent of all Canadian shipments. This is slightly lower than previous years, where these top three companies supplied about one-third of all Canadian shipments.

West Fraser remains in top spot with its Canadian output being down by 216 MMBF (-7.7 percent) across its 11 mills. Domtar moved to second spot with output across its 13 mills decreasing by 174 MMBF (-8.8 percent). Canfor dropped to third place due to a significant production reduction of 520 MMBF (-26.0 percent) across 7 mills. Interfor, had a 2025 production of 1.429 BBF, a decrease of -14.7 percent over 2024, by 246 MMBF. J.D. Irving, at #5, saw its output increase by 13 MMBF (+1.2 percent) to 1.071 BBF. Finally, Tolko, remaining at #6, saw production volume decrease slightly (-0.9 percent) to 0.927 BBF in 2025.