In a move that NAHB has encouraged, President Trump signed an executive order that calls for a 25% increase in timber production from federal lands. NAHB has taken a leading role in urging the administration and Congress to increase the domestic supply of timber from federally owned lands in an environmentally responsible manner. …This new development will help the nation move in the direction of self-sufficiency. However, due to logistical issues and the long time to ramp up sawmill production, it is projected to take months, if not years, before the market feels any impact from this action. …Offsetting the good news to expand domestic timber output is the fact that tariffs on Canadian lumber shipments into the US are expected to more than double by September.
These duties are completely separate from the global reciprocal tariffs announced by President Trump last week. When the president made his announcement, NAHB scored an important win when Trump chose to continue current exemptions for Canadian and Mexican products, including a specific exemption for lumber from any new tariffs at this time. It’s clear we are not out of the woods yet on the possibility that Canadian lumber tariffs could run even higher than 34.5% later this year. The White House issued an executive order in March commanding the Commerce Department to investigate the national security impacts of imports of timber and lumber. NAHB has argued that housing is a critical component of national security and that no further lumber tariffs should be imposed. …For now, Canadian lumber tariffs stand at 14.5%, but members should be forewarned to expect higher tariffs later this year and plan accordingly.
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump partially reversed course Wednesday on his global trade war following days of market turmoil — but he’s not offering any changes to the tariffs hitting Canada. Trump immediately paused for 90 days the levies on nations slapped with the highest duties under his “reciprocal” tariff regime. A White House official later clarified that a 10 per cent baseline tariff will remain in place for all countries. The president has held fast to his plan to rapidly realign global trade through a benchmark “reciprocal” tariff — but his tariffs have spread chaos throughout global markets. …On social media, Trump said he made the decision after more than 75 countries called his administration “to negotiate a solution.” Later at the White House, the president said he lowered the levies because “people were jumping a little bit out of line.” “They were getting yippy, you know,” Trump said. “They were getting a little bit yippy, a little bit afraid.”
American consumers could be paying more to build new homes after the U.S. announced it will more than double existing duties on Canadian softwood lumber. “In the end, the U.S. consumer ends up paying additional money,” Supply-Build Canada president said on Tuesday. “It is an extra cost that is being passed on to the U.S. consumer and that’s not an ideal situation when you are looking for housing affordability.” Claiming that the Canadian lumber industry is unfairly subsidized, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Friday that it planned to hike duties on Canadian softwood lumber from 
BURNABY, BC – The United Steelworkers union (USW) District 3 and the USW Wood Council locals in BC applaud the approach of Premier Eby in fighting for workers and federal government supports in light of the announcement by the US Department of Commerce that will increase the current tariff and countervailing duty average to 34.45% from 14%. “The continual application of tariffs and duties by the US on our USW membership in Canada is wrong and unwarranted,” said USW District 3 Director Scott Lunny. “Premier’s Eby’s approach in pressing the federal government in Ottawa for worker supports is key.” …“The Trump administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce continue to be subjected to the influence of the US Softwood Lumber Coalition, wrongfully claiming the Canadian industry is subsidized,” said Jeff Bromley, USW Wood Council Chair. …“It’s protectionism, pure and simple,” added Bromley.
Premier David Eby cautioned last week that BC should not make too much of the appearance that the country “dodged a bullet” in the latest round of tariff fire from the US. …Eby’s fears were borne out, when the US announced a plan to more than double the duty against Canadian softwood. …Eby told the legislature that Forests Ministry staff are “working on a proposal to defer stumpage.” The tariff threat likely means a setback for the ambitious goal that Eby set for the forest minister, Ravi Parmar. He directed Parmar to “work toward…a harvest of 45 million cubic metres per year”. The increase would be 50 per cent greater than last year’s 30 million cubic metres harvest, but still well short of the almost 60 million harvested the year the New Democrats took office. …Though the industry welcomed the premier’s target for increasing the harvest, it remains privately skeptical that the NDP can make the necessary changes in regulation and permitting to bring about the increase.
The US is set to more than double the duty it charges on softwood lumber imports from Canada, with the planned new rate set at 34.45%, up from the previous 14.54%. …New softwood lumber duties were long-feared amid the growing trade war between Canada and the US, and would be the latest blow to BC’s beleaguered forestry industry, which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years. BC Premier David Eby condemned the planned duty hike as an “attack on forest workers and British Columbians” in a statement on Saturday. While Canada may have been spared additional tariffs from the US on Wednesday, anxiety around levies on BC’s softwood lumber industry remains high. …Under the U.S. Tariff Act, the Department of Commerce determines whether goods are being sold at less than fair value or if they’re benefiting from subsidies provided by foreign governments.
Canadian lumber has been left out of Trump’s tariff blitz, despite the president’s repeated threats to add to import taxes to a big chunk of US wood supply. Prices for two-by-fours are tumbling. Lumber futures contracts shed 8.7% to end at $606 per thousand board feet, the lowest price since mid February. They are on track for their worst day since the pandemic-era lumber bubble burst three years ago. Prices had risen this year in anticipation of another layer of import taxes. …That climb is unwinding. But the decline can also be chalked up to expectations that tariffs will push up residential construction prices and strain affordability. The tariffs Trump announced Wednesday will add about $6,400 to the cost of building an average house, UBS analyst John Lovallo estimates. That assumes that about 7% of the materials are imported and subject to an average tariff of 22%. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]
The United States has announced sweeping changes to encourage more logging in the country’s national forests. A new emergency order requires rolling back environmental protections on national forests… A big question for forestry economists is whether the U.S. is in need of significantly larger lumber production. …The forest products industry will only begin quickly cutting and milling more U.S. timber if there is demand, Jeff Reimer, an economics professor at Oregon State University said. Much of the lumber needs in the eastern part of the U.S. are met by private forests he said, that won’t be impacted by the new Forest Service requirements. But lumber in the west is almost all from Canada. …”Loggers and mills need to have …assurance that they can sell their products at a profit,” Reimer said. “If we see high inventories of unsold housing and low (weak) housing starts, then the demand for lumber is probably low.”
Homebuilder stocks plunged Monday following reports that the US is preparing to sharply increase tariffs on Canadian lumber, independent of President Donald Trump’s new “reciprocal” tariffs. …After reports of the new lumber duties emerged over the weekend, however, shares of homebuilders plunged swiftly Monday. …”Tariffs are the clear culprit for the stock market pullback and fears of recession,” says Realtor.com® Senior Economist Joel Berner. “Recession risk is especially poignant for builders.” …The latest round of tariffs, however, will likely increase materials costs for all homebuilders, to some extent, with a recent survey of builders finding that they expect an average cost increase of $9,200 per home as a result of tariffs. …Over the weekend, Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi raised his outlook for the odds of a recession this year to 60%, up from just 15% a few months ago.
The Swedish Forest Industries Federation expresses concern over newly imposed US tariffs on pulp, paper, and board imports from the EU, which took effect on April 5 at 10% and are scheduled to double to 20% by April 2025. The federation emphasizes that free trade is critical to the Swedish forest industry, which is heavily export-oriented, with 5–10% of its exports directed to the United States. Europe remains its largest market, accounting for around 60%. …The federation’s CEO, Viveka Beckeman, highlights that the sector depends on international demand. While timber has been excluded from the latest round of tariffs, it remains under review in an ongoing US investigation that may lead to import duties as early as November 2025. The industry, which employs approximately 140,000 people in Sweden either directly or indirectly, represents 9–12% of the country’s industrial employment, export, turnover, and added value. 
US trade wars could have major implications for an already tenuous housing market….A price hike on building materials will likely make building affordable housing feasible, an approach that many real estate experts believe is crucial to resolving the housing market gridlock. The housing sector comprises over 15% of the US GDP and will be heavily impacted by tariffs on building materials such as lumber and steel. And 70% of imported lumber comes from Canada. The NAHB noted that the tariffs are “not only expected to raise the cost of building materials, which are up 34% since December 2020, far higher than the rate of inflation, but also wreak havoc on the building material supply chain. In turn, this will put even more upward price pressure on building materials.” …Uncertainty stemming from the newly unveiled tariffs has eroded consumer and investor confidence, which has, in turn, diminished homebuyer optimism.
US stocks opened lower Monday as markets around the world tumbled over concerns about how President Trump’s sweeping tariffs might upend the global economy and stymie US economic growth. Markets opened in bear market territory – a decline of 20% from a recent peak – after a historic rout in Asia and massive losses in Europe. The Dow fell 1,200 points, or 3.2%. The broader S&P 500 was 3.4% lower and opened in bear territory. The Nasdaq Composite slid 3.96%. The S&P 500 hit a record high less than seven weeks ago, on February 19. If the index closes in bear market territory, that would be the second-fastest peak-to-bear market shift in history. Wall Street’s fear gauge has surged to levels not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic as investors fret over the market’s next move. CNN’s Fear and Greed Index has slumped to its lowest levels this year.
Wall Street’s main indexes reversed course and moved sharply higher after White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in an interview that President Donald Trump was considering a 90-day tariff pause on all countries expect China. At 10:20 a.m. the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 333.50 points, or 0.87%, to 38,614.49, the S&P 500 gained 79.99 points, or 1.69%, to 5,154.07 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 362.69 points, or 2.33%, to 15,950.47.
The Trump administration’s drive to harvest more timber from national forests will lead to a “thriving wood products economy” that doesn’t rely on imports, a top Forest Service official told the agency’s top brass in a memo last week. But the timber goal acting Associate Chief Chris French pinpointed — a 25 percent increase from current levels offered for sale — would fall short of the first Trump administration’s ambitions and barely make a dent in U.S. timber supplies, data shows. The chasm between the new administration’s rhetoric — cut more trees on national forests to reduce the country’s reliance on wood imports and rejuvenate the economy — and the math behind French’s memo reflect the hurdles to returning to the timber industry’s prosperous times around national forests… Timber industry representatives and others familiar with the Forest Service’s timber program point to several flaws in the administration’s timber-boom narrative, although the industry welcomes the Forest Service’s moves to step up production.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday announced will allow logging in national forests, which will help spur timber production amid reciprocal tariffs on other nations. A memo by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins follows an executive order by President Donald Trump last month to expand timber production. There are 154 national forests covering approximately 188.3 million acres. … “Healthy forests require work, and right now, we’re facing a national forest emergency,” Rollins said in a statement. “We have an abundance of timber at high risk of wildfires in our National Forest. “I am proud to follow the bold leadership of President Trump by empowering forest managers to reduce constraints and minimize the risks of fire, insects, and disease so that we can strengthen American timber industry and further enrich our forests with the resources they need to thrive.” …The Sierra Club said the order was a giveaway to the logging industry.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The latest findings about the health of Colorado’s forests are a “mixed bag”, according to forestry experts. On Tuesday, the Colorado State Forest Service released its annual report tracking the damage from forest pests. “Insects are so closely tied to a lot of that temperature and precipitation so in Colorado it’s really been a number of years, actually 31 years, since we’ve been below average temperatures so that makes it really hard to be a tree in Colorado,” CSFS forest entomologist Dr. Dan West said. …According to the report, the front range is experiencing a surge in activity from the mountain pine beetle. In 2021, the insect impacted 1,500 acres statewide. In 2024, that number grew to 5,600 affected acres and included areas in Jefferson County and Castle Rock. …Not only do the dead trees cause forests to be less visually attractive, but they also create more fuel for more damaging wildfires.
Leaders from the Texas forest industry urged Angelina County commissioners Tuesday to table a proposed road use agreement they say unfairly targets timber haulers and could lead to legal challenges. Dave Durren, speaking on behalf of the Texas Logging Council and the Texas Forestry Association, said the proposed policy would require permits and potential financial responsibility for road maintenance, placing an undue burden on loggers. “Other agricultural sectors… are not subject to this level of scrutiny or regulation, despite using the same rural road systems. This selective enforcement places an undue burden on the forestry sector and creates an uneven playing field,” the speaker said. The speaker also cited the passage of Texas Proposition 1, a constitutional amendment approved by Texas voters in 2023 protecting the right to farm, ranch and produce timber. He argued that regulating the transportation of timber directly interferes with the constitutionally protected activity.
OKLAHOMA CITY — There is more fallout from what has largely divided Governor Kevin Stitt and the entire firefighting community. Governor Stitt confirms two more top-level employees within Oklahoma Forestry Services. The two unnamed employees follow the firing of lauded Forestry Director Mark Goeller. …Since Goeller’s firing, Stitt has continued making shocking changes — and suggestions — within and about forestry. He has suggested eliminating OFS altogether and called for an investigation, claiming 50% of resources went untapped during the March wildfires. …“Forestry is an integral part of what we do,” said Rep. Stan May, who worked for the Tulsa Fire Department for 30 years. …May said it would also likely disrupt inter-state agreements that aid in a multitude of disasters. He said if we don’t help others, it will hinder our efforts to get help. “We have to make sure those agreements are in place,” he said.
LONDON – The United States has withdrawn from talks in London looking at advancing decarbonisation in the shipping sector and Washington will consider “reciprocal measures” to offset any fees charged to U.S. ships, a diplomatic note said. Delegates are at the UN shipping agency’s headquarters this week for negotiations over decarbonisation measures, aimed at enabling the global shipping industry to reach net zero by “around 2050″. …”The U.S. rejects any and all efforts to impose economic measures against its ships based on GHG emissions or fuel choice,” according to a diplomatic demarche sent to ambassadors by the United States. …”Should such a blatantly unfair measure go forward, our government will consider reciprocal measures so as to offset any fees charged to U.S. ships and compensate the American people for any other economic harm from any adopted GHG emissions measures,” the note from Washington said.
KINGSPORT, Tennessee – The Domtar Packaging Mill in Kingsport has operated for decades, and residents have noticed one significant aspect of the mill that some believe has caused community strife: the smell. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is currently investigating three complaints about the odor from Domtar between March 31 and April 1. The TDEC said: “Although TDEC does not regulate odors, we do want to ensure that the facility is complying with its permit conditions.” …At the last Kingsport Economic Development Board meeting on April 1, Domtar updated the board on the wastewater treatment system plan. …The short-term plan involves reducing mill material losses and flow and optimizing the current wastewater treatment system. Domtar says this will last around a year. The long-term plan involves building a new anaerobic digester system. Domtar estimates that this project could take up to 18 months.