Lumber exporters to the United States in 2024 included Canada, China and Brazil, according to data from the Department of Commerce.
Canada accounted for 47.3% of these sales, with 11,588 million dollars.
The statistic includes charcoal and wood products.
In sum, U.S. imports of these products from around the world grew at a 2% year-over-year rate in 2024, to $24.512 billion.
Lumber exporters to the United States
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered an investigation that could result in the imposition of tariffs on imported lumber.
In particular, the U.S. has a dispute with Canada over softwood lumber. This has a long history. For decades, it generated conflict and led to a round of cases at the World Trade Organization (WTO) between 2001 and 2006. At that time, an agreement was reached. As a result, the United States suspended tariffs when lumber prices remained high.
However, this agreement expired in 2015. Then, the Trump administration decided to impose tariffs of up to 17.99%. It argued that Canadian softwood lumber exporters were receiving “unfair subsidies.”
Here are the top 10 lumber exporters to the United States in 2024, in millions of dollars and year-over-year growth rates:
- Canada: 11,588 (+1 percent)
- China: 2,173 (+1 percent).
- Brazil: 1,701 (+4 percent).
- Chile: 1,123 (-1 percent).
- Vietnam: 1,110 (+28 percent).
- Germany: 833 (-15 percent).
- Indonesia: 800 (+20 percent).
- Mexico: 705 (-4 percent).
- Colombia: 405 (+21 percent).
- Sweden: 386 (-8 percent).
WTO
On August 28, 2020, the WTO issued a unanimous ruling. It ruled that U.S. countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber do not comply with its WTO obligations. In addition, the ruling made it clear that Canada does not subsidize its softwood lumber industry. A month later, on September 28, 2020, the United States announced that it would appeal the ruling.
Among the most imported products into the U.S. market are sawn or sliced lumber, sliced into sheets or unrolled; construction joinery, lumber, including cellular wood panels and assembled flooring panels; and plywood, veneer lumber and similar laminated wood.