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 14.4 per cent to 34.45 per cent. …The U.S. imports roughly 30 per cent of the softwood lumber it uses, with more than 80 per cent of imports coming from Canada. British Columbia is Canada’s largest softwood lumber producer and exporter.