President Trump announced additional tariffs of 50% on a variety of Canadian goods. This move will likely broadly affect the residential construction industry’s bottom line, already facing higher construction material costs throughout 2026.
Canadian goods affected in this deal are lumber, including plywood and engineered wood products, cermets, plastic, rubber, furniture, among other items. The administration announced that this move is to hold Canada accountable for its continued discrimination against and unreasonable and unequal treatment of U.S. commerce.
It will go into effect beginning August 19, 2026.
“While contractors remain optimistic about their margins, according to ABC’s Construction Confidence Index, higher input costs will likely weigh on profitability during the second half of 2026,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu on falling material prices in June.
