U.S. Lumber Coalition Applauds President Trump's Strong Stance on U.S. Trade Law Enforcement

-- Will Maximize Lumber Output by U.S. Workers in U.S. Mills to Build U.S. Homes

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2025 /CNW/ -- "President Trump is right, the United States does not need unfairly traded Canadian lumber imports," said Andrew Miller, Chairman of the U.S. Lumber Coalition and CEO of Stimson Lumber. 

"U.S. sawmill investment and capacity expansion to supply our own market has been robust in no small part thanks to the duties first imposed in 2017 by President Trump against Canadian lumber. The domestic industry has retaken share of the U.S. market to reach levels not seen since the mid-1970s," added Miller.

U.S. mills have added eight billion board feet of capacity since 2016 in the form of new mills and expansions of existing mills. The U.S. industry has produced 30 billion additional board feet of softwood lumber during this period. That amounts to an average of 3.7 billion board feet a year of added production by U.S. mills. These increases have more than offset any decline in unfairly traded Canadian imports and are enough lumber to build two million single-family homes.

"The trade cases must remain in place as long as Canada keeps subsidizing and dumping," continued Miller. "The enforcement of the U.S. trade laws is paramount to maximize long-term lumber output by U.S. workers to build U.S. homes. We reject any efforts to promote a Canada First trade agenda prioritizing unfairly traded lumber imports over the interests of our domestic industry and workforce," concluded Miller.

"The trade measures are working," said U.S. Lumber Coalition Executive Director Zoltan van Heyningen. "The duties on unfairly traded lumber imports have strengthened domestic supply lines by forcing Canadian companies to curtail production during declining markets, dampening the harmful effects of their all-too familiar pattern of maintaining exports at the direct expense of U.S. mills and workers."

"Full enforcement of the U.S. trade laws is exactly what must happen to keep expanding U.S. lumber manufacturing and availability to build more American homes," concluded van Heyningen.

About the U.S. Lumber Coalition
The U.S. Lumber Coalition is an alliance of large and small softwood lumber producers from around the country, joined by their employees and woodland owners, working to address Canada's unfair lumber trade practices. Our goal is to serve as the voice of the American lumber community and effectively address Canada's unfair softwood lumber trade practices. For more information, please visit the Coalition's website at www.uslumbercoalition.org.

CONTACT: Zoltan van Heyningen
[email protected] | 202-805-9133

SOURCE The U.S. Lumber Coalition