July 27, 2026 • View in browser

NLBMDA Weekly is our newsletter covering everything from the latest activity in Washington to updates from our members. This is the premier source of federal legislative, regulatory, and industry news for NLBMDA members.

New Tariffs Announced on Canadian Building Products, and Levied Against More than 80 Trading Partners

Last week, the White House announced a new 50 percent tariff on certain Canadian imports under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, effective August 19. Unlike several prior trade actions, the new tariff does not exempt goods that qualify for preferential treatment under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Covered products include cement, plywood, veneered panels, laminated veneer lumber, particleboard, MDF, fiberboard, wood moldings, doors and frames, fencing components, specialty sawn wood, and veneer sheets, among other goods. Canadian softwood lumber is excluded because it is already subject to Section 232 trade restrictions, which are exempt from the new tariff. Negotiations between the United States and Canada have reportedly stalled and remain less advanced than discussions with Mexico. Should talks progress, the tariffs could still be delayed, modified, or rescinded. NLBMDA will continue monitoring developments and communicate any changes affecting implementation.

Separately, the temporary 10 percent global tariffs imposed under Section 122 expired July 24. USTR replaced them with new Section 301 duties of 10 to 12.5 percent on imports from 60 economies, citing failures to prohibit or effectively enforce bans on goods produced with forced labor. Canadian imports are subject to a 10 percent rate, but products entered duty-free under USMCA are expressly exempt.

The shifting tariff landscape comes as the Commerce Department is expected to lower combined antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber from roughly 35 percent to 25 percent in mid-August. NLBMDA is reviewing these actions and their potential effects on dealers.

Register Now: ROAD to Housing Implementation Webinar Next Week

Next Thursday, August 6, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, NLBMDA will host a webinar examining what comes next for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. Now that the bipartisan housing package is law, federal agencies must begin developing regulations, issuing guidance, conducting studies, and establishing new programs, while Congress will need to fund several of its initiatives. The discussion will explore which provisions could take effect quickly, which will require additional federal action, and when the law may begin affecting housing production, affordability, and the residential construction industry.

NLBMDA Government Affairs Coordinator Matthew Delaney will be joined by Aaron Shroyer, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders and lead author of NAAHL’s ROAD implementation guide. The webinar will also cover how the LBM industry can support successful implementation and additional opportunities to expand housing supply, including the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act.

Those unable to join live should still register to receive an on-demand recording shortly after the event.

Translating Special Operations Excellence into Private Sector Success at the 2026 ProDealer Industry Summit

What do high-stakes military operations and the lumber and building material industry have in common? More than you think. At the core of every elite team is a shared DNA of resilience, adaptability, and an unrelenting drive to execute the mission.

In this dynamic session, learn how the unmatched leadership attributes forged in the world’s most demanding environments can solve your organization’s biggest talent and management challenges. You will hear from Christian Ruf, founder of Uncommon Elite, a premier recruiting firm that connects special operations veterans with corporate leadership roles.

Christian Ruf spent a decade in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot, including five years with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment—the Night Stalkers—flying missions across Iraq, Syria, and Africa in some of the most demanding environments in the world.

Call for Silent Auction Donations at ProDealer 2026

Support NLBMDA by donating to this year’s Silent Auction! Each contribution helps strengthen our advocacy efforts in Washington while giving members the chance to bid on exciting items. Half of this year's Silent Auction donations will go to a charity to support the LBM Community.

Popular donations in past years have included sports memorabilia, electronics, outdoor gear, cigars, jewelry, art, wine and spirits, and more. If you’d like to showcase your support and generosity, simply complete the donation form below and help make this year’s auction a success.

Complete the Donation Form

Last Chance to Host your Member of Congress for a Lumberyard Tour

Last week, lawmakers in Washington departed Capitol Hill for the annual August recess and extended state and district work periods. These weeks provide House and Senate lawmakers with an important opportunity to meet with constituents, visit local businesses, and hear directly from the communities they represent. For NLBMDA members, this is an ideal time to host a member of Congress for a lumberyard tour that showcases your company and highlights the essential role LBM dealers play in supporting local economies, housing, and development across the communities dealers operate in.

NLBMDA strongly encourages members to host an elected official for a tour of their business. Hosting a member of Congress is one of the most effective ways to build and maintain relationships that give our industry a stronger voice in Washington. These visits provide valuable face-to-face interactions with lawmakers and give them an opportunity to meet your employees, learn about your company’s contributions, and see firsthand how federal policy decisions impact your business and the broader LBM industry.

August Recess Interest Form

New Home Sales Edge Higher as Affordability Challenges Persist

Affordability pressures continued to challenge the new-home market in June as elevated mortgage rates, inflation concerns and broader economic uncertainty kept many buyers on the sidelines. Sales of newly built single-family homes edged up 1.6% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 628,000, but remained 5.6% below year-ago levels. Builders have increasingly relied on incentives to drive activity, with 62% offering some form of sales incentive in June, according to NAHB. Emerging demand has been strongest at the lower end of the market, where homes priced below $300,000 accounted for 23% of sales, up from 16% a year ago.

Housing inventory remained elevated, with 485,000 new single-family homes available for sale in June, representing a 9.3-month supply. Combined new and existing home inventory reached its highest level since 2014, creating additional competition for builders. Meanwhile, the median new-home price fell to $398,300, down 3.3% from May and 2.7% from a year earlier, reflecting builder price reductions and a shift toward more affordable markets such as the Midwest. Regionally, year-to-date new-home sales increased 2.6% in the Midwest but declined in the Northeast (-4.7%), South (-4.9%) and West (-10.1%), highlighting uneven market conditions across the country.

HUD and Census Bureau Report New Residential Sales in June 2026

Despite ongoing affordability challenges, new-home sales posted a modest increase in June. According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, sales of newly built single-family homes rose 1.6% from May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 628,000. However, sales remained 5.6% below June 2025 levels, underscoring the continued impact of elevated mortgage rates and cautious buyer sentiment. Inventory of new homes for sale stood at 485,000 units, representing a 9.3-month supply, slightly below May levels but still above year-ago supply levels.

Home prices continued to soften as builders worked to attract buyers. The median sales price for a new home fell to $398,300 in June, down 3.3% from May and 2.7% from a year earlier. The average sales price declined even more sharply, dropping 9.5% month over month to $475,400 and 6.5% from June 2025. The combination of elevated inventory and lower prices suggests builders are increasingly adjusting pricing strategies and incentives to maintain sales activity in a market still constrained by affordability concerns.

Greer Outlines Administration’s Trade Agenda Before Senate Finance Committee

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer appeared before the Senate Finance Committee last week to outline the administration’s 2026 trade agenda, defending its continued use of tariffs and negotiated trade agreements to support domestic manufacturing, increase exports, and reduce the trade deficit. Greer said the United States is pursuing interim arrangements with Canada and Mexico by the end of the year, while broader negotiations over the future of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement could continue into 2027. He also discussed the administration’s decision not to approve an automatic 16-year USMCA extension and cited unresolved concerns involving market access, enforcement, automotive rules of origin, labor standards, and agricultural trade barriers. Greer further defended the recently announced Section 338 tariffs on certain Canadian goods, arguing that they respond to Canada’s treatment of U.S. vehicle, dairy, and alcohol exports. Senators raised questions about tariff costs, business certainty, market access, and the administration’s consultation with Congress as trade negotiations continue.

NLBMDA Joins Supply-Build Canada for Capitol Hill Meetings

Last week, NLBMDA joined Supply-Build Canada in Washington for more than half a dozen meetings with congressional offices focused on the North American softwood lumber market. The meetings provided lawmakers and staff with additional context on the differences between Canadian spruce-pine-fir, commonly known as SPF, and U.S.-produced southern yellow pine, or SYP. While both products serve important roles in residential construction, differences in species characteristics, regional availability, and market preference mean they are not always interchangeable.

NLBMDA and Supply-Build Canada emphasized the importance of preserving fair market access to the lumber products preferred by builders and consumers, while also providing dealers, suppliers, and customers with greater predictability in future trade actions. The meetings took place the same day U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testified before the Senate Finance Committee, underscoring the broader attention on U.S.-Canada trade policy. NLBMDA will continue advocating for a durable, long-term approach to softwood lumber trade that supports product availability, market choice, and certainty across the supply chain.

Congress Faces Crowded Agenda Before Midterms

The House has begun its five-week August recess, while the Senate is scheduled to remain in Washington through August 7, leaving lawmakers with a narrow window to address a growing list of priorities before campaign season accelerates. The fall agenda includes fiscal year 2027 appropriations and a likely stopgap funding measure, the proposed “reconciliation 3.0” package, the SAVE America Act, defense legislation, and the BUILD America 250 Act, the five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill.

The infrastructure package cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee with broad bipartisan support and includes several NLBMDA priorities, including commercial driver workforce provisions, a pilot program to modernize truck-weight limits, and continued freight and rail investment. However, it did not receive a House floor vote before recess, and the Senate remains earlier in its process. With current surface transportation authority expiring September 30, Congress may turn to a short-term extension rather than complete a long-term reauthorization before the midterms. NLBMDA will continue advocating for its priorities as negotiations proceed and as Congress works to advance a number of legislative priorities with limited legislative days remaining.

NLBMDA-Backed Heat Workforce Standards Act Advances in House Committee

Last week, the House Education and Workforce Committee advanced H.R. 6213, the Heat Workforce Standards Act, by an 18-15 vote. Introduced by Rep. Mark Messmer (R-IN), the legislation would prohibit OSHA from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing its proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings standard, or any substantially similar rule without Congressional approval. While NLBMDA strongly supports protecting employees from heat-related hazards, NLBMDA has raised concerns on several occasions that OSHA’s proposed national standard would impose rigid, one-size-fits-all requirements, including temperature-based triggers, acclimatization mandates, and extensive planning and recordkeeping obligations, without providing dealers sufficient flexibility to tailor heat-safety practices to their individual operations.

Over the past several months, NLBMDA has successfully helped secure additional support for the legislation, bringing the total number of House cosponsors to 60. Committee approval marks an important step forward, and NLBMDA will continue engaging lawmakers to expand support and advance the bill. NLBMDA will also continue urging OSHA to withdraw its current proposal and begin a new rulemaking process informed by meaningful input from the industries that would be directly affected.

Do it Best Group event promotes innovation

Do it Best Group recently brought together team members from across the organization for Mission Possible, an internal innovation event that brought together team members with technical, strategic, operational, and creative expertise.

The event focused on developing solutions in four areas:

enhancing the retailer experience;
strengthening business intelligence;
increasing operational efficiency; and
accelerating the delivery of information and tools that support independent businesses.

SalesJack, Bradley Hartmann & Co. join forces

SalesJack and Bradley Hartmann & Co. have announced a collaboration that makes SalesJack the analytics engine behind Bradley Hartmann & Co.’s Sales Performance Analytics group (SPA). SalesJack will automate the data extraction and transformation process and provide new, modern dashboards for SPA members.

“The LBM industry is strong when it comes to looking in the rearview mirror—discussing revenue and gross profit,” said Bradley Hartmann. “But when it comes to pipeline management, forecasting, growing wallet share, taking market share and ensuring the sales compensation plan aligns with the organization’s goals, many LBM firms admit they have room for improvement. That’s where analytics comes in, and SalesJack delivers those insights faster and with greater depth.”

Applications for the Blair F. Collings Scholarship Program for 2026 are now open

Named to honor the memory of Blair F. Collings of Rockville, Indiana, this MBSA scholarship collectively represents one of the largest academic scholarship programs among lumber and building material associations in the country. Blair Collings, who died November 26, 1998, was the son of Joseph R. Collings, Charter President of MBSA.

The funding for the scholarship program, including all amounts awarded, is derived from the volunteer efforts of leaders of MBSA. The main fundraising events for the program are the Sycamore Scramble Golf Outing in Indiana, and the White Pine Classic in Michigan, both held every summer.

The lumber and building materials industry understands the importance of putting people first. It’s not just sound business practice, but it’s the right thing to do. One of LMC’s core values, “We Do the Right Thing,” extends beyond the workplace.

On July 16th, Team LMC volunteered at the MontCo SPCA alongside the company’s philanthropic committee, LMC Cares. Volunteer efforts like this are a regular part of LMC Cares’ work, with this particular day also serving as a tribute to former employee who was an avid animal lover.