Proposed Tariff
Proposed on April 25, 2017
Policy Summary
President Donald Trump announced on April 25th a new set of tariffs on Canadian lumber policies. Citing an unfair deal, President Trump has launched a new set of duties ranging from 3% to 24% on five Canadian lumber companies. Currently, most Canadian lumber firms pay a tariff of 20% on exports to the United States. This dispute over Canadian lumber is many decades old, and President Trump will not be the first to issue new tariffs. While this decision will not be finalized by the Commerce Department until September, they are effective immediately and 90 days retroactively. LEARN MORE
Analysis
Once again, President Trump did not consider all possible externalities with this new tariff. This duty would hurt American homebuilders and would raise the price for new homeowners across the country. Because the Canadian government owns many of the forests in Canada, they are able to offer better subsidies. Instead of negotiating, President Trump would rather start a trade war with our close ally and economic partner. This is dangerous for the United States politically, and a calmer and wiser approach may help the average American citizen more in the long run. LEARN MORE
Engagement Resources
- National Association of Homebuilders — An association to keep a strong housing market and keep housing prices low.
- Atlas Free Trade — A network of research and collaboration between concerned international advocates who wish to remove trade barriers.
- World Trade Organization — A supranational institution that works to increase free trade and lower tariffs
This brief was compiled by Jacob Malinowski. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact jacob@usresistnews.org.
