National

Trump eyeing spring start for lumber tariffs; could new levy stack on current one?

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 20 Feb, 2025 11:03 AM

The list of potential American tariffs that could affect Canada grew Wednesday night when U.S. President Donald Trump dropped the idea of a 25 per cent levy on lumber and forest products.

Speaking to the media onboard Air Force One, Trump said his administration was eyeing some time around April for the latest announced duty.

Earlier this month, Trump paused until March 4th his initially planned 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods and a lower 10-per-cent levy on imports of Canadian energy.

Canada's forestry sector recently described the threatened tariffs as unnecessary and unwarranted, given that the U.S. currently meets only about 70 per cent of its homebuilding lumber needs domestically and uses Canadian lumber to fill the gap.

If the threatened 25 per cent tariff is added on top of current duties already in place, the combined total on softwood exports to the United States will be closer to the 50 or 55 per cent estimate.

The U.S. last raised duties on softwood lumber from Canada in August 2024 from 8.05 per cent to 14.54 per cent.

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