A new House bill would exempt key residential construction products from recent tariffs, and NLBMDA has already met with the sponsor’s office.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) has introduced the Homebuilding Materials Tariff Relief Act. The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) has met with Beyer’s office to discuss the bill and its pathway through Congress.
The bill would exempt a defined group of residential construction products from tariffs imposed on or after January 20, 2025. Antidumping and countervailing duties, safeguard measures and trade agreement dispute settlement duties would remain in place.
Before a covered tariff could return, the National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index would have to average 160 or higher for 12 months. Congress would also have to approve the tariff through a joint resolution.
A reading of 160 means a median-income family earns 60 percent more than it needs to qualify for a mortgage on a median-priced existing single-family home. The national index stood at 102.3 in June 2026.
NLBMDA said the tariff relief bill faces long odds this Congress. Still, it is the second bill this Congress to link housing affordability with a stable, affordable supply of building materials. The first, from Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Chris Coons (D-DE), was developed with input from NLBMDA.