EUGENE, Oregon — The U.S. can’t break its reliance on foreign lumber without the Douglas fir stands of Oregon and Washington.
The trees are key players in the debate around how aggressively to log forests — both public and privately owned — to meet President Donald Trump’s goal to cut timber imports.
“Should the federal government get serious about reducing imported wood, Oregon and Washington would absolutely play a significant role,” said Sara Duncan, communications director for the Oregon Forest Industries Council, a trade group.
Trump is showing signs that he’s serious. His 10 percent tariff on imported wood and timber, plus tariffs of 25 percent on finished products such as upholstered furniture and kitchen cabinets took effect Tuesday, delivering on what some analysts say will make houses more expensive to build, at least in the short term.
