North American based producers of structural panels and engineered wood products will continue to benefit from the gradual recovery in residential construction in the U.S. Demand will also grow in the other end-use markets over the next few years because of stronger growth in the economy. However, a critical structural shift in the housing market in the U.S. and also in Canada has been affecting the recovery in demand. Multifamily units are playing a greater role in satisfying the demand for new housing units and use significantly less product per unit. The usage rate trends for structural panels and engineered wood products remain favorable as homebuilders and other end-users continue to take advantage of the strong performance characteristics these products provide relative to other building materials.
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