PORTLAND (WGME) – Lumber and dairy tariffs on Canada could impact Maine much more than other states because of our close trade ties to our northern neighbors.
Maine imports about $200 million worth of lumber from Canada each year.
Canada will likely push any new tariff costs onto U.S. customers.
President Donald Trump says Canada has been ripping the U.S. off for years on lumber, and he says we’re going to charge the same thing.
TOPICS:
Lumber tariffsCanadaMaineTrade warConstruction industryPresident TrumpSupply chainPrices
PORTLAND (WGME) – Lumber and dairy tariffs on Canada could impact Maine much more than other states because of our close trade ties to our northern neighbors.
Maine imports about $200 million worth of lumber from Canada each year.
Canada will likely push any new tariff costs onto U.S. customers.
President Donald Trump says Canada has been ripping the U.S. off for years on lumber, and he says we’re going to charge the same thing.
Canadian leaders say Trump’s claims are not true, and his tariffs are unjustified.
“He’s attacking Canadian families, workers and businesses, and we cannot let him succeed,” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said.
Lumber and dairy tariffs on Canada could impact Maine much more than other states because of close trade ties to our northern neighbors. (WGME)
“All I know is this,” Trump said. “We’re going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs. And we’re going to become so rich, you’re not going to know where to spend all that money. I’m telling you. You just watch.”
But right now, the threat of lumber tariffs is prompting unpredictability and fear in the construction industry.
“Our retailers are having difficulty keeping quotes with the builders,” Northeastern Retail Lumber Association President Rita Ferris said. “Builders are getting stressed out because they can’t promise a solid price to their customers. So there’s a big fear out there that things are going to slow down in a hurry.”
Many in the industry are drawing similarities between Trump’s lumber tariff threat and the pandemic-era supply chain crisis. Dealers say the threat alone has already led to spikes in lumber prices, uncertainty in ensuring supply and customers canceling orders due to high prices.
“Products that they know must come from Canada, they’ve tried to hoard as much as they can,” Ferris said.
Lumber and dairy tariffs on Canada could impact Maine much more than other states because of close trade ties to our northern neighbors. (WGME)
The Northeastern Retail Lumber Association says a lumber tariff will cut both ways.
“We grow our timber here,” Ferris said. “We send it over the border for milling. And then it comes back to us with a tariff on it. That’s very impractical.”
Ferris says a lumber trade war will hurt Canada and Maine.