MONTANA - , including a 25% tariff on lumber, are drawing attention to our local lumber companies in Montana. The Trump administration is encouraging American businesses to rely more on U.S.-grown and processed lumber.
Sean Steinebach, an outreach forester with Sun Mountain Lumber, shared his perspective on the impact of these tariffs. "We have to compete with the West Coast in the southeast, and we have to compete with Canadian lumber and all these other folks. It's a little tough for small Montana companies," he said. Despite the challenges, Steinebach expressed confidence in local resources. "I don't feel that we need Canadian lumber. We have the capacity. We have the need. We have the sawmills, and we have the forests," he added.
Steinebach also addressed concerns about deforestation, emphasizing the sustainability of Montana's lumber industry. "Our sawmill is very reliant on our public lands, national forest, BLM and, you know, state of Montana DNR trust lands," he stated. He noted the political nature of the issue, saying "It's more political than I think it needs to be," but remained optimistic about the benefits for local economies.
"If we're increasing forest health, reducing fuels, and our local economies are benefiting from it, I'm 100% for it," he said. The tariffs are not expected to have the same impact as the COVID-related price increases for lumber.
Roy Thompson, owner of RBM Lumber in Columbia Falls, mentioned that their company would be minimally affected. "No, it won't change any because nobody makes what we make. They don't. They certainly don't get what we make out of Canada," he said.
Todd Johnson, former general manager of Pyramid Mountain Lumber in Seely Lake, discussed the potential effects on their recently closed mill. "Commodity items here, which would definitely be affected by the tariffs, but for potential buyers of this site, without me knowing exactly which product they're going to produce and, and unknown to me whether those will be affected by the tariffs or not," he explained.
Steinebach suggested that the situation could present an opportunity for local materials. "It can't just be beer and you can produce that we want to buy locally. I think that our materials should fit into that as well," he said.
