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To: RoosterRedux

We have had a duty/quota on Canadian Softwood lumber for over 30 years. The current duty is 14% on average.
This has been negotiated multiple times over the last thirty years. Starting around 6% and eventually the 14%.

As a lumber broker for almost 40 years I can tell you from experience that different regions of our country prefer to purchase different species of lumber. In almost all regions that mix is a blend of Canadian, US, European and even South American lumber. The closer your location to the US/Canada border the heavier that percentage is to Canadian.
The closer to a southeastern port the more likely to buy European Spruce lumber. The west coast and Pacific NW is heavier to US Douglas Fir and Canadian DF.
However, Southern Yellow Pine is by far the dominate species used for pressure treating, truss manufacturing and other uses where strength is required.
For general framing like wall studs the other species like SPF(Spruce, pine, fir) Douglas Fir and Hem fir are more desired.

Also, a major factor is that SYP lumber is the least expensive species to produce in the world. SYP trees can be grown to a harvest size in 30-40 years. Which is significantly less than other northern species.
SYP is also manufactured typically in NON UNION right to work states like AR, TX, MS, LA, AL, GA, NC, SC & VA.
Mills in WA & OR have not only a higher log cost but a higher manufacturing cost.

Due to all these factors all the large corporations like West Fraser, Canfor, Interfor, Weyerhaeuser, Binderholtz, JD Irving, Tolko, Idaho Forest Group, Teal Jones Group, etc have all either built or purchased existing US SYP mills or Maine sawmills in the last fifteen years. They know IF they want to stay in the lumber business that the cheapest fiber in the world is in AL, MS, LA & AR.


18 posted on 02/03/2025 6:51:43 AM PST by woodbutcher1963
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To: woodbutcher1963

Good information. Thx.


20 posted on 02/03/2025 7:12:55 AM PST by RoosterRedux ("There's nothing so inert as a closed mind" )
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