West Fraser sawmills in British Columbia will be curtailing production for one week effective March 30.
West Fraser announced the additional production adjustments Wednesday as operating and market conditions continue to change.
“As a result of the continuing proliferation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the imposition of mandatory and recommended governmental restrictions on movement, travel, work, and trade that are impacting our operations and creating uncertainty in the demand for forest products, the following additional changes to operating schedules at West Fraser’s manufacturing operations have been implemented,” the company stated.
The one-week curtailment at all BC sawmills will result in the elimination of an additional 24 million board feet of production.
Plywood production at West Fraser’s Alberta Plywood and Slave Lake Veneer facilities will also be suspended from March 30 to at least April 6.
The production adjustments follow last week’s announcement by West Fraser that will see production at Western Canadian sawmills reduced by 18 percent and U.S. South sawmills by approximately 24 percent.