LEESBURG, VA - North American composite panel shipments in August totaled 504 MMSF, up 9.4% from 460 MMSF (3/4” basis) for the same period a year ago, according to the Composite Panel Association's (CPA) monthly Industry Snapshot.

Year-to-date shipments were also up 4.6% over the same period last year.

CPA reported that particleboard shipments totaled 279 MMSF (3/4” basis), up as compared to 280 MMSF last month and down less than 1% from 270 MMSF in August 2011. Year-to-date particleboard shipments are up less than 1% from 2011.

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) shipments were 187 MMSF (3/4” basis), 4.1% ahead of the previous month and up 20.4% compared to last August at 155 MMSF. Year-to-date shipments of MDF are up 11.4% over the same period in 2011.

Hardboard shipments decreased 7.6% from last month to 228 MMSF (1/8” basis), increased 4.6% from the same month one year ago at 218 MMSF (1/8” basis). Year-to-date shipments increased 4.8% compared to 2011.

TFM Shipments Up 6.1% Over Last Month
CPA said shipments of TFM in August were 108 MMSF, up 6.1% compared to 102 MMSF last month and down less than 1% compared to August 2011. Yea- to-date shipments in 2012 are 846 MMSF down 2.9% compared to the same period a year ago 871 MMSF.

Monthly TFM shipments are extrapolated based on data from 62.8% of the US industry and 79.2% of the Canadian industry.