NAHB called on the Biden administration to move immediately to negotiate a new softwood agreement with Canada that will end tariffs after the administration announced last night that it had reached a deal with the United Kingdom to lift steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump in 2018.
“Now that the administration has moved to end steel and aluminum tariffs from the United Kingdom, it must act with the same sense of urgency to negotiate a new agreement with Canada that will eliminate tariffs on softwood lumber shipped into the U.S.,” said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter. “With the nation in the midst of a housing affordability crisis, the lumber tariffs are contributing to unprecedented price volatility that has added more than $18,600 to the price of a new home since last August. A failure to act decisively will be a bitter blow for American home buyers and for housing affordability.”
While the removal of steel and aluminum tariffs from the UK is a positive development that can help lower construction costs, the lack of any trade progress on the Canadian lumber front is especially galling, considering that NAHB has been calling for action since this latest round of tariffs went into effect during the Trump administration, says NABH.
Lumber tariffs act as a tax on American home buyers and home owners and affects millions of households. NAHB strongly believes that the United States must return immediately to the negotiating table with Canada to reach a long-term trade agreement that will put an end to harmful tariffs and ensure that American home builders and home buyers have access to a steady supply of lumber at an affordable price.
