Tariffs causing the price of lumber to increase?

[Andrew More]

Has anybody heard anything about the new tariffs on China increasing the price of lumber, or lumber products? I've heard rumors that this might be the case, but little actual articles or facts. I could understand lumber products, like flooring or sheet goods, which might be processed overseas, but with raw lumber from the sawyer it would seem to very much be a local product.

Anybody heard anything substantial?

[Doug Dawson]

Has anybody heard anything about the new tariffs on China increasing the price of lumber, or lumber products? I've heard rumors that this might be the case, but little actual articles or facts. I could understand lumber products, like flooring or sheet goods, which might be processed overseas, but with raw lumber from the sawyer it would seem to very much be a local product.

Anybody heard anything substantial?

The communists don't like to use their own lumber, let alone export it. It's all an import to them. There was a long article in the New York Times last month(?) about how they're decimating the forests in Siberia etc. So it doesn't affect us, in fact quite to the contrary they would probably be buying less of ours.

Link to the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/09/world/asia/chinas-voracious-appetite-for-timber-stokes-fury-in-russia-and-beyond.html?searchResultPosition=1

[Andrew More]

The communists don't like to use their own lumber, let alone export it. It's all an import to them. There was a long article in the New York Times last month(?) about how they're decimating the forests in Siberia etc. So it doesn't affect us, in fact quite to the contrary they would probably be buying less of ours.

Link to the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/09/world/asia/chinas-voracious-appetite-for-timber-stokes-fury-in-russia-and-beyond.html?searchResultPosition=1

From your article "It is also the largest exporter — turning much of the wood it imports into products headed to Home Depots and Ikeas around the world."

[David Buchhauser]

Andrew,
I haven't noticed any large increases in lumber and sheet goods at our local lumber suppliers here in Arizona. I am not really worried about it.
David

[Bill Dufour]

to the op; what country are you in? I think it will only increase USA prices. Effect in Canada or Mexico may be to lower prices.
Bil lD

[Doug Dawson]

From your article "It is also the largest exporter — turning much of the wood it imports into products headed to Home Depots and Ikeas around the world."

We were talking about lumber, not "genuine processed simulated woody products". :^)

And last I heard, Ikea uses wood from the vast forests of Northern Europe to produce its mash. I didn't even know they had a plant in China, and it wouldn't be the one exporting to the US if they did.

Re plywood etc., we make that here in North America very nicely and efficiently, no help needed from the Red Chinese thankyouverymuch. :^/

[Andrew More]

to the op; what country are you in? I think it will only increase USA prices. Effect in Canada or Mexico may be to lower prices.
Bil lD

I'm in the USA.

@Doug - I agree we make a lot of plywood here, or used to, but I'm not certain what percentage is us made, or what's imported.

[Edwin Santos]

It's a valid question, one to which I don't know the answer. My supplier does distinguish between import and domestic sheet products, but other than Baltic Birch, I'm not clear on exactly where the import goods are coming from or whether price has changed as a result of tariffs. I'll ask next time I visit my supplier.
I think BB is and continues to be a good buy for how high quality it is but I don't think recent tariffs have affected the Baltic countries that export it to the US.
Obviously there has been quite a bit of trade friction between the US and Canada over lumber tariffs, but I'm not clear on whether it has impacted mostly softwood or both softwood and hardwood. I have read articles that say the Canadian lumber tariffs have contributed to increased housing construction costs in the US, but I don't hear that much widespread griping about it, so not sure what to think.

[Peter Kuhlman]

I think the price impacts will depend upon where you live. When I lived in Louisiana it was common to see sheet goods with Made in China stamping. I haven't noticed that here in Michigan yet. Think much of it is sourced from Canada. Back in the day, Georgia Pacific used to be a major sheet good producer but they have closed many of their plants due to labor and raw material costs.