West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements
(figures are in millions of dollars, except where indicated - unaudited)
West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (“West Fraser”, “we”, “us” or “our”) is a diversified wood products company producing lumber, LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp, newsprint, wood chips, and energy with facilities in western Canada and the southern United States. Our executive office is located at 858 Beatty Street, Suite 501, Vancouver, British Columbia. West Fraser was formed by articles of amalgamation under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and is registered in British Columbia, Canada. Our Common shares are listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WFT.
2. | Basis of presentation and statement of compliance |
These condensed consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standard 34, Interim Financial Reporting as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and use the same accounting policies and methods of their application as the December 31, 2019, annual audited consolidated financial statements. These condensed consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with our 2019 annual audited consolidated financial statements.
3. | Use of estimates and judgments and Coronavirus (COVID-19) |
Financial statement preparation requires management to use accounting estimates and make judgments and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors, including expectations of future events that are considered to be reasonable under the circumstances.
Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is challenging to predict the impact on our Company. The extent of such impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain, including the resurgence of COVID-19 as restrictions are eased or lifted, new information that may emerge concerning the spread and severity of COVID-19, and actions taken to address its impact, among others. It is difficult to predict how this virus may affect our business in the future, including its effect (positive or negative; long or short term) on the demand and price for our products. It is possible that COVID-19, particularly if it has a prolonged duration, could have a material adverse effect on our supply chain, market pricing, customer demand, and distribution networks. These factors may further impact our operating plans, business, financial condition, liquidity, and operating results, which would, in turn, affect our estimates, including the valuation of inventories, allowance for expected credit losses, fair value measurements, the valuation of long-lived assets, and cash flow projections used for impairment testing. Actual results may materially differ from these estimates.
4. | Seasonality of operations |
Our operating results are subject to seasonal fluctuations that impact quarter-to-quarter operating results. Log availability has a direct impact on our operations. We build up log inventory in Canada during the winter to sustain our lumber and plywood production during the second quarter when logging is curtailed due to wet and inaccessible land conditions. Extreme weather conditions, wildfires in Western Canada, and hurricanes in the U.S. South may periodically affect operations, including logging, manufacturing, and transportation. Consequently, interim operating results may not proportionately reflect operating results for a full year.
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