Trump says America has ‘all the trees’ it needs. But fixing the housing crisis may mean depending on Canadian wood

President Donald Trump has frequently quipped that “we don’t need” products from Canada.

President Donald Trump has frequently quipped that “we don’t need” products from Canada. That includes oil, autos and, of course, lumber. “We don’t need the products that they have,” Trump said Thursday as he signed executive orders in the Oval Office. “We have all the oil that you need. We have all the trees you need.” While trees are bountiful in the US (we have 300 billion of them), economists and homebuilders caution that America does not currently have the industrial capacity to meet the demand and that taxing — or worse, cutting off — Canadian lumber imports could further exacerbate the ongoing housing affordability crisis. Softwood lumber, which is sourced from the likes of pine, spruce, firs and other conifers is prized for its light weight, workability and strength. As such, its applications are vast, but it’s a critical ingredient in the US homebuilding industry: Commonly, the skeleton and skin of homes — the framing, roof and siding — consist of softwood lumber.