Weyerhaeuser's MDF plant in Columbia Falls, Montana exploded and caught fire, causing disruption to the MDF supply chain

An explosion occurred at Weyerhaeuser Company's MDF plant in Montana, USA. The plant supplies North American imported medium-density fiberboard of 12% to China, which is expected to cause short-term price fluctuations and supply chain adjustments.
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Weyerhaeuser Montana MDF Plant Accident

According to the Daily Lake News on February 19, an explosion and fire occurred at Weyerhaeuser's medium-density fiberboard (MDF) plant in Columbia Falls, Montana on Wednesday.

The Columbia Falls Fire Department and several surrounding fire departments responded urgently, and no casualties have been reported so far.

LumberFlow Expert Interpretation

  • The plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 150 million square feet (3/4 inch basis), accounting for 12% of North American MDF exports to China.
  • It is expected to cause China's MDF landed price to rise by 8-12% in Q2, especially affecting the furniture manufacturing cluster in East China
  • It is recommended to switch to alternative suppliers such as Germany's Kronoply or Malaysia's Evergreen in the short term, but they will have to bear the premium of 15-20%

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