Industry leaders are urging the governments of Canada and the US to prioritize resolving the longstanding softwood lumber dispute after the US more than doubled lumber import duty rates. Construction costs are already rising for American builders, while housing affordability and worries about inflation remain. …The love-hate relationship the US has with Canadian softwood lumber took another turn last week, when the American Building Materials Alliance (ABMA) highlighted one more reason hiking duties on imports of Canadian softwood lumber is a problem for the US construction sector. …ABMA Chair Rod Wiles, a VP at Hammond Lumber Company, said: “Tariffs at this level send a clear signal that the status quo isn’t sustainable, and they can be a tool to bring both sides back to the table. The sooner we can achieve a fair agreement, the better it will be for the entire North American lumber supply chain.”