LEESBURG, VA - Total North American shipments of particleboard, MDF and HDF totaled 5.473 MMSF for 2011, an increase of 1% over 2010, according to the Composite Panel Association (CPA).

December shipments totaled 407 MMSF (3/4” basis), up 7% compared to the same month a year ago. MDF shipments for the month surged 18.1% compared to the previous December, and rose 2.1% totaling 1.874 MMSF (3/4” basis) for the year over 2010. Particleboard shipments for the month were up 4.3% and yearly shipments were 3.172 MMSF (3/4” basis), a less than a 1% drop from 2010. Hardboard and Engineered Wood Siding and Trim shipments were down 12.7% in December and down 3.3% for the year compared to 2010.

CPA also reported that, despite a 10% drop in December, shipments of thermally fused melamine (TFM) for 2011 totaled 1,277 MMSF, up 1.3% from 2010.