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Boom or Dust? How Tariffs Are Helping This Maine Sawmill but Creating More Uncertainty for Others
U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber have spurred $1.7 billion in sales and nearly 5,000 jobs at Maine softwood sawmills, while hardwood exporters face tariff retaliation and falling demand.
- On Jan. 21, Pleasant River Lumber co-owners Jason Brochu and Chris Brochu added a second manufacturing shift at their Enfield sawmill after investing more than $100 million since 2020 and purchasing about 300,000 tons of timber yearly with roughly 300 employees.
- The Trump administration raised tariffs on Canadian lumber last year, and the Canadian government implemented retaliatory duties that disrupted exporters like Lumbra Hardwoods, which took months to recover even after some tariffs were repealed last summer.
- Softwood prices have remained relatively stable while hardwood lumber prices cratered amid falling foreign demand, and loggers often prioritize pulpwood when pulp demand rises, reducing softwood sawlog supply for mills.
- Hardwood exporters reported immediate losses, with some facing duties exceeding $1,000 per load to Canada and several months needed to recover profits; Maine wood products sector generated nearly $1.7 billion in sales and nearly 5,000 jobs.
- Analysts and mill leaders warn that inflation, a sputtering housing market, and unstable trade policies make the tariffs' long-term effects unclear, with hardwood unlikely to rebound soon.
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11 Articles
11 Articles
Associated Press News+8 Reposted by 8 other sources
Boom or dust? How tariffs are helping this Maine sawmill but creating more uncertainty for others
Forklifts drove across the frozen campus of Pleasant River Lumber’s sawmill in Enfield on a bitter January morning with ease, preparing neatly wrapped stacks of softwood lumber for customers from Boston to Baltimore.
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How tariffs help this Maine sawmill but create uncertainty for others
Business has been solid at Pleasant River Lumber’s Enfield sawmill since the Trump administration hiked tariffs on Canadian lumber last year. For other Maine sawmills, the effects aren’t as clear. Photo by Katherine Emery.Forklifts drove across the frozen campus of Pleasant River Lumber’s sawmill in Enfield on a bitter January morning with ease, preparing neatly wrapped stacks of softwood lumber for customers from Boston to Baltimore. Business w…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left3Leaning Right0Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
L 38%
C 62%
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