The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) is calling on the Biden administration to move immediately to negotiate a new softwood agreement with Canada that will end tariffs. The push comes after the administration announced that it had reached a deal with the United Kingdom to lift steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump in 2018.

“Now that the administration has moved to end steel and aluminum tariffs from the United Kingdom, it must act with the same sense of urgency to negotiate a new agreement with Canada that will eliminate tariffs on softwood lumber shipped into the U.S.,” said NAHB chairman Jerry Konter. “With the nation in the midst of a housing affordability crisis, the lumber tariffs are contributing to unprecedented price volatility that has added more than $18,600 to the price of a new home since last August. A failure to act decisively will be a bitter blow for American home buyers and for housing affordability.”

The NAHB notes that, while the removal of steel and aluminum tariffs from the UK is a positive development that can help lower construction costs, the lack of any trade progress on the Canadian lumber front is especially galling, considering that the organization has been calling for action since this latest round of tariffs went into effect during the Trump administration.

An association press release points out that lumber tariffs act as a tax on American homebuyers and home owners and affects millions of households. NAHB strongly believes that the United States must return immediately to the negotiating table with Canada to reach a long-term trade agreement that will put an end to harmful tariffs and ensure that American homebuilders and homebuyers have access to a steady supply of lumber at an affordable price.

In the press release, the NAHB says it will continue to sound the alarm on the harmful effects that tariffs have on housing affordability and work with our allies in Congress to hammer home an urgent message to the administration: Few things would have a more immediate impact on lumber markets than a swift resolution to America’s ongoing trade dispute with Canada over softwood lumber.