U.S. tariffs set to slow pace of homebuilding in Canada: CHBA

Canada's building industry says a trade war with the United States will slow down the pace of home construction.

Canadian Home Builders' Association CEO Kevin Lee says the U.S. tariffs levied against Canada today will have a "muted" impact on the industry on their own.

But he says an expected slowdown in the economy tied to tariff impacts could hold the housing market back, dragging down housing starts.

Today, CHBA CEO Kevin Lee spoke to reporters on Parliament Hill about the release of CHBA's #MunicipalBenchmarkingStudy, underscoring that policy change is needed to ramp up housing supply & address #housingaffordability challenges.

Watch 🎥 https://t.co/968y1iFKuq#cdnpoli

— CHBA National (@CHBANational) March 4, 2025

Canada has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's trade salvos with retaliatory tariffs targeting $30 billion worth of U.S. goods, with billions more in counter-tariffs set to follow in three weeks.

Lee says that if these retaliatory tariffs hit critical construction materials coming from the U.S., they could drive up costs for builders.

He says municipalities can help offset the slowdown by speeding up approval processes and lowering development charges to get new homes built.