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26 Pallet C e nt ral • S e ptem be r- O ctobe r 2 0 25 vigilance for NWPCA members and other industry participants. Adding to this, increased substitution of softwoods by industrial users, driven by lower costs or greater availability, places further downward pressure on certain hardwoods. In effect, supply volatility and evolving customer specifications define the industry's current reality, increasing both opportunity and risk for those able to adapt quickly. Buyers, Des na ons, And The "New Normal" In Supply Chains Historically, North American hardwood had a clear route, from forest to sawmill, then to major international buyers, with China taking a lion's share. Now, that certainty is gone. Brooks notes, "We are facing a lot of critical decisions at this time as we try to reshape our industry because we are export-dependent, and one of the things this administration is trying to do is to help us export more to other markets." e current era has seen greater volumes redirected to domestic industrial users, pallet manufacturers, railway tie operations, and confident niche furniture makers. As more mills compete for a smaller set of customers, sometimes within the same region, procurement lead times, pricing structures, and even species preferences have become far less predictable. From Commodity To Customer-Focused Necessity is driving overdue innovation. Progressive companies are moving beyond commoditized sales. Instead of delivering standard grade boards, some now offer value-added, custom-processed materials cut exactly to downstream specifications. Other adaptive strategies include investing in advanced milling technologies to improve yield and flexibility, diversifying product lines to MARKET INSIGHTS CONT.

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