Missouri Lumber Businesses Struggle to Find Stability Amid Trump Tariffs

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Missouri’s lumber exports have taken a major hit, with more than half of international shipments grinding to a halt in the wake of tariffs enacted under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Industry leaders say the effects are already being felt statewide.

The Missouri Forest Products Association says demand for lumber is declining both domestically and internationally, driving down market prices and straining businesses that rely heavily on exports.

“About 60% of the material produced here in Missouri is exported to China,” said Brian Brookshire, the Missouri Forest Production Association’s executive director.

Brookshire said the lack of international exports is causing problems for the market.

“That lumber finds itself on the domestic market, and we don’t have the demand for it currently," Brookshire said. "So that’s a real issue for us.”

With international demand shrinking, one lumber company in Fayette said it is seeing shipments stall and backlogs grow.

The MOPAC Lumber Company said the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs has thrown previous export plans into chaos.

“Trade has completely stopped with China, but all of this material that we had on its way is now in limbo because we don’t know what’s going to happen,” MOPAC President Bucky Pescaglia said. “We tried to reroute some of it, we tried to bring some of it back, we tried to move it to a different market."

Pescaglia said this has been the most damaging period the industry has experienced in years, even worse than the 2018 trade war.

“Well, we’ve already gone through the short-term pain in 2018, and it crushed our industry," Pescaglia said. "We’re having it even worse now.”

He said he hopes state and federal leaders hear their concerns and respond.

“We’re looking to the government to help in some manner, or to listen to us and try to adjust their policies," he said.

Missouri’s forest products industry contributes more than $10 billion annually to the state economy. For now, those in the industry hope relief comes before more long-term damage is done.

Courtesy: www.komu.com