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U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

woodworkingnetwork.com

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Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#41

Post by lhorie »

kokanator wrote: post #11

Policy bankrupts large swaths of the logging industry. We create restrictions that substantially increase the cost of harvesting timber on public forest lands ( and add fuel load btw ). This has left major land owners as our primary source of timber ( read monopolistic ). Allow these timber companies to ship our timber overseas to create an intentional artificial shortage ( yes it is documented ). I know, let's solve…

> Allow these timber companies to ship our timber overseas to create an intentional artificial shortage ( yes it is documented ).

Am I understanding right that this would mean US would be incentivized to not export lumber (since domestic demand would grow in response to the increase in canadian lumber prices), and conversely, Canada would just fill the export gap left open by the US, leaving Canada in a stronger, more diversified trade position and the US in a worse, nationalist position? Or am I missing something?

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#42

Post by hahahasure »

gher-shyu3i wrote: post #25
clusterfish wrote: post #23

Canadians: meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Trump's steel tariffs are still in place too.

If Trump ordered this it would be all over the news. The double standards are astounding.

I'm reading about this in the news.

The double standards are within the party.

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#44

Post by nightowl_games »

peeters wrote: post #39
gher-shyu3i wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Trump ordered this it would be all over the news. The double standards are astounding.

This was all over the news. That said nobody in Canada was expecting Biden to be less protectionist, it was clear he was cut from the same cloth as Trump as far as his thoughts on globalization and allies went.

I dont think the historical arguments about Globalization hold up in a post-covid world. We are seeing a massive CPU and GPU shortage. TSMC is a nexus of world trade. We saw a massive Suez canal blockage.

The merits of locally produced goods are far more apparent now than ever before. We are in a new age.

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#45

Post by jandrewrogers »

RoadieRoller wrote: post #8

(I am not a US citizen, but visited many times) Why not build houses using concrete/cement? Poor Asian countries have been building houses for decades using concrete and less maintenance. No, it is not about weather. Concrete can be easily used in Southern US states where winter is less than a month or no snow at all. At least the structure can be concrete and the walls be wood or drywall. I think it is the wood mafi…

Two reasons: cost and earthquakes.

The US has vast timber forests, so it is inexpensive, and timber (or steel) framing works well for earthquake resistant construction. A large part of the US is a seismic hazard zone and the building regulations reflect that. You can find older neighborhoods with unreinforced masonry throughout the US but those date from a time before they had modern building regulations and before the extent of earthquake risks were fully understood.

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#46

Post by belval »

happytoexplain wrote: post #19
xyzzyz wrote: post #3

Good, lumber has been too cheap lately, which was pushing construction costs down and depressing house prices.

Dry sarcasm is ambiguous online.

Normally I would agree with you but lumber prices have been so high in the last few months I'd say the sarcasm is warranted.

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#47

Post by enragedcacti »

partiallypro wrote: post #37
btbuildem wrote: post #15

As a Canadian - awesome! (Given that I understand the consequences correctly, that is.) The incredible demand, coupled with supply chain troubles, has driven up the price of lumber here nearly 300% A 8' 2x4 was $2.95 this time last year, today it's $10. I hope this cools the exports of lumber from Canada, and we see the prices move back towards a sane level.

This would actually drive up the price even more though? Demand for lumber is pretty inelastic.

In the US it will, in Canada it should go down given that exports to the US will slow and thus internal supply will increase.

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#48

Post by nightowl_games »

nafizh wrote: post #30

Incredible. Instead of putting tariffs on Chinese cheap stuff that most people can get by without, US is putting tariff on one of the main exports of its closest allies.

You should see what the Koch brothers have down to our oil industry and politics!

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#49

Post by jypepin »

Very surprised to see some arguments in the article saying lumber only make 4% of construction prices. I'd love to know what type of construction they're looking at.

We're currently in the process of building a house and current lumber prices (because of covid mainly) are definitely impacting costs, to the point that it's one of the first thing that both our architect, and then builders mentioned.

Everybody involved in the trade have mentioned the idea of waiting an extra year before building, mostly because of lumber prices.

Re: U.S. moves to double Canadian lumber tariffs

#50

Post by peeters »

nightowl_games wrote: post #44
peeters wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This was all over the news. That said nobody in Canada was expecting Biden to be less protectionist, it was clear he was cut from the same cloth as Trump as far as his thoughts on globalization and allies went.

I dont think the historical arguments about Globalization hold up in a post-covid world. We are seeing a massive CPU and GPU shortage. TSMC is a nexus of world trade. We saw a massive Suez canal blockage. The merits of locally produced goods are far more apparent now than ever before. We are in a new age.

We also haven't had a world war in 76 years. I'll take an occassional shortage on non-critical goods over a major war every 20 years.
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