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National Average Price Per Gallon: $3.070
The International Monetary Fund announced its forecast for world economic growth on Monday. The group predicts growth of 3.9% for both 2018 and 2019.
Because increased economic growth means more oil consumption, the announcement pushed crude prices up to $70 per barrel.
The United States is close to breaking its all-time production record of 10.04 million barrels per day.
Framing lumber: $471
Panels/plywood: $474
This week saw an unprecedented price run in framing lumber products for the month of January.
The market for structural panel products also saw brisk trading. Robust sales fueled sharp price hikes, resulting in double-digit increases in all producing regions.
The Congressional Budget Office released its economic forecast last week.
According to the CBO, “…Economic growth over the next two years [will] remain close to the modest rate observed since the end of the recession in 2009.”
The CBO also predicts “increases in hiring, employment, and wages, along with upward pressure on inflation and interest rates.”
However, the Office does predict that the low unemployment rate will impact economic growth over the next ten years. The “relatively slow increase in the nation’s supply of labor” will constrain overall economic output growth through 2027.
Sources: Random Lengths, EIA, CNBC, CBO.gov
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