Tariffs on wood, wood products might not help producers

Mixed hardwood timber is stacked at a logging site in Elcho, Wis., in September 2021. (Rob Mentzer/Wisconsin Public Radio)

Kitchen cabinets designed by Curran Cabinetry & Design in Madison, Wis. (Photo courtesy of Curran Cabinetry & Design)

Mixed hardwood timber is stacked at a logging site in Elcho, Wis., in September 2021. (Rob Mentzer/Wisconsin Public Radio)

Larry Krueger has already felt the effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on his lumber business.

Krueger, cofounder and vice president of Krueger Lumber in Valders in northeast Wisconsin, said with tariffs in place on lumber imported to the United States, other countries have responded with reciprocal tariffs. This has led to an excess of lumber in Wisconsin, with fewer places to sell it to.

“Demand is way down. Prices ar