US closes the door on imported lumber

For decades the United States has been the world’s largest buyer of imported softwood lumber, absorbing vast volumes from Canada, Europe and Latin America. That relationship is now changing. New data from US Customs suggests the country’s appetite for foreign softwood is shrinking rapidly. Total imports are expected to fall to about 30.03m cubic metres in 2025, down 9 per cent from the previous year and marking the fourth consecutive annual decline. The figure is striking for another reason. Compared with the peak reached in 2005, US softwood imports have dropped by more than 47 ...