Softwood Plywood Import Prices Hit 12-Month Low
Importers of plywood should review supplier mix as softwood costs fall and hardwood costs climb.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Inflation
North America's softwood plywood import benchmark fell to $380.5 per cubic meter in September 2026, a 12-month low, as U.S. import volume dropped sharply. Importers and builders sourcing plywood across the region are seeing prices shift as supply moves between origins.
Why it matters
Lower softwood import prices ease input costs for construction and furniture firms that buy plywood, while the sharp drop in Canadian and Indonesian shipments reshapes which suppliers are available. Price moves in this category tend to flow directly into bids and margins for businesses that buy by the cubic meter.
The softwood benchmark is down 8.2% year to date while the hardwood benchmark is up 18.1%, a divergence in the two plywood categories. Total plywood imports fell 26% between August and September 2026, with shipments from Canada down 95.6% and from Brazil down 39.5%.
The details
The drop in softwood prices came alongside a reshuffling of suppliers rather than a uniform slowdown. Shipments from Indonesia, one of the lowest-priced sources, fell 82%, which leaves a larger share of purchases with higher-priced plywood from Cambodia and Vietnam. Shipments from Chile rose 41.7% and from Gabon rose 41%, while Indonesian shipments dropped 62% in the same period. For a buyer, the mix of origins matters as much as the headline benchmark.
Timeline
September 2026: softwood benchmark fell to $380.5 per m3, a 12-month low
Year to date 2026: softwood benchmark fell 8.2% while hardwood gained 18.1%
August to September 2026: total plywood imports fell 26%
Market Landscape
The September softwood benchmark extends a year-on-year decline of 4.2%, with prices now sitting at a 12-month low. The hardwood benchmark is moving in the opposite direction, up 18.1% year to date, which points to diverging demand and supply conditions across the two plywood categories.
Buyers sourcing plywood should review supplier mix, since the sharp drop in some origins and rise in others changes which contracts are available. Procurement teams should track the softwood and hardwood benchmarks separately, because they are moving in opposite directions.
The takeaway
Procurement teams should treat the softwood-hardwood divergence as a signal to re-check supplier origin rather than relying on a single benchmark. Watch the next monthly import release to see whether the Indonesian and Canadian declines persist.
Further reading
For broader context on how input price moves filter through to consumer and producer costs, see our Inflation coverage.
