Tariffs are gutting Canadian lumber mills. Could higher housing costs follow?

Canadian sawmills are absorbing punishing losses as US duties transform North American lumber supply, with construction costs in the balance Canadian lumber mills are curtailing production, absorbing historic losses, and in some cases closing permanently – all while American competitors operate with a built-in margin advantage engineered by US tariff policy, according to wood market analyst Russ Taylor. Speaking with Canadian Mortgage Professional, Taylor laid out a deteriorating picture of the North American lumber market, unwelcome news for the housing sector at a moment when the supply crisis has made the cost and availability of construction materials a ...