North Coast fire victims likely to pay more for building supplies in coming year

By Bill Swindell
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
November 19, 2017
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

As displaced Sonoma County homeowners begin reconstruction after last month’s wildfires, they’ll face a daunting price tag on building materials. …The composite price for framing lumber in North America has increased 21 percent in the last year. …The increase is a result of many factors. Washington state, Oregon and … British Columbia had wildfires that threatened their timber stock. Random Lengths noted that Canadian softwood lumber imports — which represent about one-third of the U.S. market — reached a two-year low in the third quarter as a result of the fires. The Canadian supply also has been reduced by the mountain pine beetle…  American producers have faced similar threats with similar insects. To add further pressures, the Trump administration earlier this year tacked on tariffs of as much as 24 percent on Canadian softwood lumber …arguing that Canada… is unfairly subsidizing its domestic industry by charging below market fees for harvesting on government land.

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