Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique

The business environment of the forest products industry is impacted by a variety of factors that makes it hard to predict the market’s behavior. Moreover, companies operating in this industry are continuously seeking to improve their understanding of the market by transforming available data into v...

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Main Authors: Mounia Ferguene, Nadia Lehoux, Camélia Dadouchi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Canadian Institute of Forestry 2023-03-01
Series:The Forestry Chronicle
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2023-006
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author Mounia Ferguene
Nadia Lehoux
Camélia Dadouchi
author_facet Mounia Ferguene
Nadia Lehoux
Camélia Dadouchi
author_sort Mounia Ferguene
collection DOAJ
description The business environment of the forest products industry is impacted by a variety of factors that makes it hard to predict the market’s behavior. Moreover, companies operating in this industry are continuously seeking to improve their understanding of the market by transforming available data into valuable knowledge and meaningful forecasts. This paper proposes a methodology to extract and use open data for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports forecasts using multivariate regression techniques. A number of methods were applied to estimate the models’ coefficients using a training data set, namely the Ordinary Least Squares method with a “backward” variable selection approach, LASSO and RIDGE regressions, and the Two-Step Least Squares method. Then their forecast accuracy was tested on an out-of-sample data set. The best selected models in terms of forecast accuracy succeeded in predicting Quebec lumber demand and exports on the testing data set, with a Root Mean Square Error of 0.12 and 0.08 respectively, and a Mean Absolute Error of 0.1 and 0.06 respectively. Furthermore, the developed data visualization tool appeared as a powerful tool to highlight the reliable forecasts generated by the models, while deducing relevant information through interactive graphics. Such a visualization tool could therefore help in better understanding the market when making decisions related to the evolution of lumber demand.
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spelling doaj-art-b8462dddddc8410d8cbeffb28df6fa722025-08-20T02:56:51ZengCanadian Institute of ForestryThe Forestry Chronicle0015-75461499-93152023-03-0199110311610.5558/tfc2023-006Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression techniqueMounia Ferguene0Nadia Lehoux1Camélia Dadouchi2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, CanadaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Université Laval, Quebec, CanadaDepartment of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering, Polytechnic Montreal, Montreal, CanadaThe business environment of the forest products industry is impacted by a variety of factors that makes it hard to predict the market’s behavior. Moreover, companies operating in this industry are continuously seeking to improve their understanding of the market by transforming available data into valuable knowledge and meaningful forecasts. This paper proposes a methodology to extract and use open data for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports forecasts using multivariate regression techniques. A number of methods were applied to estimate the models’ coefficients using a training data set, namely the Ordinary Least Squares method with a “backward” variable selection approach, LASSO and RIDGE regressions, and the Two-Step Least Squares method. Then their forecast accuracy was tested on an out-of-sample data set. The best selected models in terms of forecast accuracy succeeded in predicting Quebec lumber demand and exports on the testing data set, with a Root Mean Square Error of 0.12 and 0.08 respectively, and a Mean Absolute Error of 0.1 and 0.06 respectively. Furthermore, the developed data visualization tool appeared as a powerful tool to highlight the reliable forecasts generated by the models, while deducing relevant information through interactive graphics. Such a visualization tool could therefore help in better understanding the market when making decisions related to the evolution of lumber demand.https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2023-006lumber exportslumber demandtime series modelingforecastsforest value chainexportations du bois d’œuvre
spellingShingle Mounia Ferguene
Nadia Lehoux
Camélia Dadouchi
Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique
The Forestry Chronicle
lumber exports
lumber demand
time series modeling
forecasts
forest value chain
exportations du bois d’œuvre
title Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique
title_full Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique
title_fullStr Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique
title_full_unstemmed Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique
title_short Forecasting models for Quebec’s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique
title_sort forecasting models for quebec s lumber demand and exports using multivariate regression technique
topic lumber exports
lumber demand
time series modeling
forecasts
forest value chain
exportations du bois d’œuvre
url https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2023-006
work_keys_str_mv AT mouniaferguene forecastingmodelsforquebecslumberdemandandexportsusingmultivariateregressiontechnique
AT nadialehoux forecastingmodelsforquebecslumberdemandandexportsusingmultivariateregressiontechnique
AT cameliadadouchi forecastingmodelsforquebecslumberdemandandexportsusingmultivariateregressiontechnique