Trump Aims to Support U.S. Lumber and Timber Industries

On March 1, President Donald Trump enacted an executive order and a memorandum concerning the U.S. lumber sector, addressing what officials at the White House described as a crisis involving both supply and demand.

Entitled “Freeing Our Forest,” the executive order aims to address supply issues by instructing the secretaries of various departments and federal agencies to reverse federal policies as well as to suggest methods to expedite and boost domestic timber and lumber production.

The rise in timber production will be closely linked to enhanced land management strategies, according to the White House.

The accompanying memorandum will focus on demand, with a directive for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to investigate any potential risks to national security associated with lumber imports.

“Our failing timber and lumber policies, a remnant of the last administration, contribute to wildfires and harm our fish and wildlife habitats,” remarked Peter Navarro, senior counselor on trade and manufacturing.

“These policies inflate construction and housing costs and degrade our economy through significant trade deficits stemming from countries like Canada, Germany, and Brazil flooding our markets with lumber, adversely affecting our national security and economic well-being. This ends today.”

Navarro distinguished between timber, which involves the cutting and removal of trees, and lumber, which refers to the conversion of these trees into boards and building materials.

The executive order mandates a comprehensive approach involving all government entities, tasking heads of departments and agencies, including the secretary of the interior, secretary of agriculture, director of the Bureau of Land Management, chief of the United States Forest Service, director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and secretary of commerce, along with the assistant administrator for fisheries, to develop strategies to enhance timber production while improving forest management in compliance with existing laws such as the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Tribal Forestry Protection Act.

Agencies have been assigned various deadlines, with the initial guidance on boosting timber production and promoting effective forest management expected within the next 30 days, and the final report due in 280 days.

“All relevant agencies shall eliminate, to the maximum extent permissible by law, all undue delays within their respective permitting processes related to timber production,” Trump’s order emphasized.

“Furthermore, all relevant agencies are directed to take all necessary and appropriate measures consistent with applicable law to suspend, revise, or rescind any existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies, settlements, consent orders, and other agency actions that impose an undue burden on timber production.”

Simultaneously, the order noted, “Agencies are instructed to utilize, to the maximum extent permissible under applicable law, ESA regulations on emergency consultations to facilitate the nation’s timber production.”

A White House official clarified that timber encompasses not only the removal of new trees but also the salvaging and clearing of fallen trees. This approach is expected to not only lower construction material costs but also enhance wildlife management.

“In doing so, you significantly bolster your capacity to prevent wildfires, which can be catastrophic, while simultaneously improving habitats for fish and wildlife,” the official explained.

At the same time, Trump’s memorandum requires Lutnick to deliver a report no later than 270 days post-signing, presenting findings on whether timber and lumber imports jeopardize national security and offering recommendations for addressing any identified threats, including potential tariffs, export controls, or measures to encourage domestic production. He will also propose policies aimed at “reinforcing the United States timber and lumber supply chain.”

During the investigation, Lutnick will evaluate current and projected domestic timber and lumber demand, assessing the extent to which local production could satisfy that demand. Additionally, he will analyze foreign supply chains and the impacts of foreign government subsidies and harmful trade practices on industry competitiveness and determine how to bolster domestic production to reduce imports.

“We continually face a recurring issue where globally, a set of detrimental actors—some of whom are punitive allies—develop vast overcapacity in their industries due to government subsidies, subsequently dumping products into the United States,” stated the White House official.

“This diminishes our domestic manufacturing capabilities and results in long-term national security risks. Timber and lumber is an industry that should never be heavily dependent on imports.”

The official noted that the U.S. reliance on imported lumber has surged nearly 11-fold since the early 1990s, and the timber industry possesses the potential to create nearly 1 million jobs.