North American softwood lumber exports to China slowed in July from their earlier record pace, according to industry newsletter Random Lengths.

Canadian shipments slipped to 253 million board ft in July, down 29% from the record volume of 356 million board ft exported in June.

Large inventories among Chinese importers have been cited as the reason for the slowdown.

Despite this, the export trend to China remains well ahead of the record 2010 pace. In addition, demand has continued to expand to higher grades and less traditional species.