As the Trump administration pledges financial relief for soybean farmers following the government shutdown, Kentucky’s hardwood lumber industry is also seeking aid after years of struggle tied to international trade tensions. At GreenTree Forest Products in Wallingford, a small family-run sawmill that employs 90 people, business has slowed dramatically. Falling lumber prices, reduced demand from homebuilding and bourbon industries and volatile trade policies have all cut into profits. Since 2018, when China imposed 25% retaliatory tariffs on U.S. hardwoods, exports have plummeted, devastating mills that relied heavily on overseas buyers. Even with some trade restrictions easing, sawmills like GreenTree remain overstocked and understaffed, unsure if they’ll survive another economic hit.
Industry leaders like James Wright of the Kentucky Forest Industries Association are calling for the lumber sector to be included in federal relief programs, arguing that it is as vital to rural economies as agriculture. While tariffs on imported furniture could eventually benefit domestic lumber by encouraging U.S. production, the short-term impact has been job losses and mill closures across Appalachia. Many in the industry, like GreenTree co-owner James Wells, feel sidelined compared to larger agricultural groups and fear they lack the political clout to secure assistance. Despite healthy forests and available resources, uncertainty around trade policy and market demand continues to stall recovery for America’s hardwood producers.
