Håkan Ekström

Glen O’Kelly

The US has never produced enough softwood lumber to satisfy its own demand. …The US represents roughly 27% of global softwood lumber demand, but only 20% of global supply — a structural gap that requires large-scale imports. Canada remains the dominant source, supplying about 80% of US imports over the last decade and projected to supply more than 22% in 2025, according to a new report. Despite recurring political claims that the US can become self-sufficient in lumber production, the report concludes that the scale of change required makes that unrealistic. To replace the ~25 million m. of imports currently entering the market each year, the country would need to build around 75 new, modern sawmills. That would require capital investment exceeding 12x the total US sawmill investment over the past fifteen years — and would take more than a decade under ideal conditions. …Proposals to increase logging on federal lands are also unlikely to meaningfully reduce import dependence.