Update March 4, 2025
After US President Trumps announcement on 3rd of March, that he wants to increase logging and lumber production in his own country, the forestry minister of British Columbia, Ravi Parmar, has now spoken out.
Parmar said in a statement that Trump's latest move is just a distraction from solving the real problem - the “unjustified tariffs on softwood lumber that are hurting workers on both sides of the border”.
“These trade barriers will only serve as a tax on middle-class Americans trying to build new homes and communities devastated by wildfires and hurricanes, forcing them to pay more to rebuild”, Parmar emphasized to local media.
March 3, 2025
Patheticly the official White House website explains why it is now essential to boost logging and wood processing within the country. The goal is to reduce dependence on wood imports.
According to U.S. media, another Executive Order signed by President Trump has instructed the U.S. Department of Commerce to immediately launch an investigation on the national security implications of wood imports. This investigation is intended to provide the legal basis for the new tariffs Trump has announced. It will examine whether "exporters such as Canada, Germany, and Brazil are flooding U.S. markets with wood at dumping prices, harming America's economic prosperity and national security."
The U.S. softwood lumber price, tracked by Timber Online, has reacted to the uncertain market and tariff situation with significant price increases in recent weeks.
