With much relief, U.S. lumber is not among the products facing increased import tariffs in the wake of escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and many of our trading partners. China, Mexico, Canada and the European Union are collectively raising tariffs on billions of dollars of products they import from the U.S. in response to Washington’s efforts to curb imports. Fortunately, wood products are largely spared, with the exception of a 10% tariff on plywood exports to Canada.
“Each country’s list of targeted products is largely similar”, reports Jerry Hingle, international program consultant for the Southern Pine Council, on behalf of the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA). “Tariffs on steel and aluminum are heavily targeted, but so is a long list of agriculture products strategically chosen to harm certain congressional districts in the U.S. Thankfully, the wood products industry dodged this one”, he adds.