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Washington, D.C. – This week the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) submitted formal comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) as part of the joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) set to begin next year. More than 1,500 trade groups and stakeholders submitted comments, with NLBMDA standing as the sole representative of the lumber and building materials industry ahead of the high-stakes USMCA joint review. In its submission, NLBMDA called for a strengthened and modernized North American trade framework that preserves reliable access to building materials, promotes housing affordability, and reinforces the competitiveness of the U.S. lumber and building materials (LBM) sector.
“The USMCA remains vital to ensuring a frictionless and integrated North American building material supply chain,” said Jonathan Paine, President & CEO of NLBMDA. “Our dealers depend on predictable, tariff-free trade to provide affordable, high-quality lumber and building materials to builders, contractors, and homeowners across the country. Strengthening the agreement will help address ongoing housing affordability challenges while maintaining U.S. economic competitiveness.”
In its letter, NLBMDA emphasized several key priorities for the joint USMCA review:
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Negotiate a new Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA): NLBMDA urged the U.S. to prioritize a new, long-term SLA with Canada to stabilize lumber prices, ensure predictable access to materials, and support a resilient North American housing supply chain.
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Protect North American economic interconnectivity: NLBMDA cautioned against unilateral trade measures such as Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs that increase material costs for U.S. dealers and builders, recommending a coordinated response mechanism within the USMCA framework.
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Preserve tariff-free access to essential wood products: Reliable, tariff-free access to lumber and building materials is critical for stabilizing construction costs and sustaining attainable housing pathways for American families.
“The success of the residential construction sector relies on a consistent, integrated supply chain that allows our members to meet the needs of America’s builders and homeowners,” Paine added. “NLBMDA looks forward to working with USTR and our North American partners to reinforce the USMCA’s role as the foundation of a strong, resilient regional economy.” NLBMDA’s comments were a product of a collaborative process with membership which included a call for priorities from LBM dealers and a review by the NLBMDA Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee.
NLBMDA’s submission can be read here.
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