Lumber futures ease after two-and-a-half-year high

Lumber futures eased toward $630 per thousand board feet, retreating from a two-and-a-half-year high of $658, as erratic tariff policies from President Trump, and retaliatory measures from Canada and the European Union, strain global trade and stoke recession fears in the U.S. and Canada. However, the U.S. Producer Price Index recorded a softwood lumber surge of 11.7% over the past year, marking four consecutive months of double-digit annual growth. Tariff uncertainties have led builders to stockpile lumber to avoid potential tariffs on Canadian imports—a strategy that has historically pushed ...