Why higher tariffs on Canadian lumber may not be enough to stimulate long-term investments in US forestry

Photo: Quebec and Lake Saint-John Railway: Roberval Lumber Company Mill, Owned by Ross, Beemer and Company, Roberval, Quebec, Canada – ca. 1887. Photo credit: Livernois Photography Studio – Jules-Ernest Livernois, World Digital Library – Library of Congress Online Catalog. Article by Andrew Muhammad and Adam Taylor. The Conversation – October 15, 2025.

Lumber, especially softwood lumber like pine and spruce, is critical to U.S. home construction. Its availability and price directly affect housing costs and broader economic activity in the building sector. The U.S. imports about 40% of the softwood lumber the nation uses each year, more than 80% of that from Canada. President Donald Trump says that the U.S. has the capacity to meet 95% of softwood lumber demand and directed federal officials to update policies and regulatory guidelines to expand domestic timber harvesting and curb the arrival of foreign lumber. […]

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