The United States’ hunger for imported lumber is in freefall, with new US Customs data confirming that total softwood imports fell to just 30.03 million cubic metres in 2025 — a 9% year‑on‑year drop and the fourth consecutive annual decline.
It comes as imports of lumber have fallen more than 47% in 20 years, from a peak of 57.37 million cubic metres in 2005, with the contraction expected to deepen further after President Donald Trump reaffirmed on Saturday his commitment to place tariffs on all US‑bound lumber after the US Supreme Court decision on his infamous “liberation tariffs.”
As it stands, Canada remains overwhelmingly the largest supplier, accounting for 82% of all US import volume. And in 2025, it shipped 24.62 million cubic metres, down 12% year‑on‑year. Germany followed with 1.95 million cubic metres (6% of total imports), up 2%.
Argentina, Finland, Sweden, Chile and New Zealand grew trade.
Among the fastest‑growing suppliers, Latvia delivered 150,000 cubic metres, up 30%, while Argentina shipped 135,000 cubic metres, up 75%. Finland supplied 120,000 cubic metres, up 37%, whilst Sweden’s trade — predominantly Spruce‑Pine‑Fir (SPF) — grew 21% to 1.11 million cubic metres (4% of total imports), Chile shipped 316,000 cubic metres, up 17%, and New Zealand also supplied more than 267,000 cubic metres of radiata pine, also up 17%.
Canada, Brazil and Austria were amongst the biggest losers.
Whilst on the other side of the ledger, several traditional suppliers saw volumes fall sharply amid escalating tariff pressure. Brazil shipped 408,000 cubic metres, down 6%, while Austria supplied 324,000 cubic metres, down 13% year-on-year.
Across all suppliers, SPF remained the dominant species, accounting for 73% of US imports at 21.35 million cubic metres. At the same time, spruce and fir accounted for 11% at 3.28 million cubic metres, pine represented 7% at 1.97 million cubic metres, cedar accounted for 588,000 cubic metres (2%), Hem‑Fir represented 382,000 cubic metres (1%), Southern Yellow Pine accounted for 315,000 cubic metres (1%), and hemlock represented 272,000 cubic metres.
Wood Central understands that the decline in imports accelerated from late 2025, after the US Department of Commerce’s finalisation of combined countervailing and antidumping duty rates on Canadian softwood lumber, ranging from 26% to 48%, with most exporters assigned a 35% rate, with Donald Trump doubling down on Section 232 tariffs on Saturday.
“Effective immediately, all national security tariffs under Section 232, and existing Section 301 tariffs — they’re existing, they’re there — remain in place, fully in place, and in full force and effect,” Trump said on Saturday. “Today, I will sign an order to impose a 10 per cent global tariff under Section 122, over and above our normal tariffs already being charged. And we’re also initiating several Section 301 and other investigations to protect our country from unfair trading practices of other countries and companies.”
The current measures build on the President’s decision in October to activate new Section 232 tariffs, which imposed a 10% tariff on global lumber from 14 October and a 25% tariff on cabinets, vanities and upholstered furniture, rising to between 30% and 50% from 1 January unless trading partners reached an agreement with US Secretary Howard Lutnick.
At the time, Trump argued that rising timber imports were undermining the US economy and threatening the viability of domestic wood‑processing capacity. He warned that the United States risked losing the ability to meet critical defence and infrastructure needs if domestic mills continued to close.
“Because of the state of the United States wood industry, the United States may be unable to meet demands for wood products that are crucial to the national defence and critical infrastructure,” Trump said in October, adding that lumber is used for “building infrastructure for operational testing, housing and storage for personnel and materiel, transporting munitions, as an ingredient in munitions, and as a component in missile‑defense systems and thermal‑protection systems for nuclear‑reentry vehicles.”
Please note: Wood Central will have additional coverage in the coming days on the impact of the US Supreme Court decision, including its impact on the USMCA, softwood lumber traded between the United States and Canada, and shipments of plywood and furniture from Vietnam, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
