Sable Homes President John Bitely discusses new lumber tax and its impact on homeowners

In Michigan, builders rely heavily on Canadian lumber because of its close proximity.

Sable Homes President John Bitely talked to WZZM13 about how a new tariff on most Canadian lumber will soon affect home buyers building a new home.

On April 25, 2017, the Trump administration announced plans to implement a tariff of up to 24 percent on most Canadian lumber. In Michigan, builders rely heavily on Canadian lumber because of its close proximity.

“The challenge comes that we don’t make enough

“The challenge comes that we don’t make enough lumber in the United States. We really do need our Canadian counter neighbors for their product, so it’s a balancing act of at what is the right price so that they’re not subsidizing it and hurting our U.S. mills,” Bitely said. “But at the same time, how do we make that work so the consumer isn’t paying too much?”

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