The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) wants Washington to ease the cost and supply strain that dealers tie to new Section 338 tariffs on Canadian building materials.
In a Monday letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the group sought targeted relief for essential materials that domestic producers cannot supply in sufficient volume. It also pressed for a steadier, more predictable trade relationship with Canada.
When NLBMDA surveyed members about the tariffs, 80 percent cited sourcing or availability problems and nearly 87 percent said suppliers had raised prices. Dealers also described smaller Canadian shipments, longer lead times and trouble finding domestic substitutes.
The Section 338 action adds a 50 percent duty to Canadian goods such as certain plywood and laminated wood products, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard and wood doors, even when they would otherwise receive preferential treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
“A sudden disruption therefore risks creating shortages rather than simply redirecting demand toward U.S. producers,” NLBMDA wrote in its letter.
Because dealers, manufacturers and builders set purchasing and pricing plans months ahead, the association said abrupt tariff shifts upset inventory planning. NLBMDA plans to keep seeking relief and a durable U.S.-Canada trade framework.