The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) submitted comments to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) ahead of next year’s joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). “While USMCA recognizes the interconnectivity of the lumber and building materials sector… raw and semi-processed Canadian lumber remains exposed to market instability without a new Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA). NLBMDA strongly recommends that the US prioritize negotiating a new, long-term SLA with Canada and integrate it into the USMCA framework. Since the previous agreement expired in October 2015, duties on Canadian lumber have fluctuated year to year, creating uncertainty for LBM dealers and the broader industry. …Establishing a new, long-term SLA that safeguards the US wood products sector and workforce while recognizing the essential role ofCanadian lumber in the North American marketplace would help restore pricing stability, ensure predictable access to critical building materials, and strengthen the supply chain.