U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a new trade investigation on Saturday that could lead to further tariffs on imported lumber. This move would add to the existing duties already imposed on Canadian softwood lumber and the upcoming 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican goods, which are scheduled to take effect next week.
In his third tariff investigation within a week, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum instructing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to initiate a national security investigation into U.S. lumber imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The order mandates that the Commerce Department conduct and finalize its investigation within a period of 270 days. This trade law, which grants the president the authority to impose tariffs on imports deemed a threat to national security, was previously used by Trump to justify tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports.
