Chris Matthews can’t wrap his head around making more lumber in US because of possible Trump tariffs

Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews could not seem to wrap his head around the possibility of the U.S. producing its own lumber instead of receiving the product from Canada during a Wednesday segment of “Morning Joe.”

President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly considering increasing tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber from 14.5% to 34.45%, according to a Department of Commerce memo obtained by Bloomberg. Despite there being plenty of trees in the U.S., Matthews claimed that making more lumber in the U.S. rather than importing it from a neighboring country is a fantasy that cannot possibly be accomplished.

“You see, we get so many of our lumber, our two by fours, from Canada. That’s where we get it from. We get our newsprint from up there for newspapers. The fact is, we get it. What are we gonna do? Have more lumber made in the United States now? What is our plan now? Oh, we’re not gonna import wood, so we’re gonna make more wood?” Matthews said. “We’re gonna create more wood? Is that it? I don’t think we’re in a position to replicate the imports coming into this country with our own products, they can’t always be done. And wood’s an example of that. Wood. Are we gonna make more wood in this country because of our trade deal? I don’t think so.”

WATCH:

Members of the U.S. lumber industry have celebrated these new tariffs, stating that Canada has designed unfair trade practices to benefit their own economy. Andrew Miller, chairman of the US Lumber Coalition, said Canada’s trade practices in the lumber industry are forcing U.S. companies to “curtail production.”

“Unfair trade by Canada to the tune of 34.45% in the U.S. softwood lumber market substantiates yet again the everyday egregious harm to the U.S. industry by Canada’s abusive dumping and subsidies practices. These unfair trade practices are designed by Canada to maintain an artificially inflated U.S. market share for Canadian products and force U.S. companies to curtail production, thereby killing U.S. jobs,” Miller said.

British Columbia Premier David Eby condemned the “unjustified softwood lumber duties,” stating that many Americans “need Canadian lumber to build or rebuild their homes.”

Jason Brochu, co-president of Pleasant River Lumber in Maine, told CNN that the U.S. has the capacity to ramp up its own lumber production.

“We could ramp up fairly quickly,” Brochu said. “The saw mill industry has modernized a lot, and speaking for our location and our region, bringing in the employment isn’t a major impediment.”

Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs on foreign nations with the goal of returning manufacturing jobs to the U.S. and to negotiate with other countries on their unfair trade practices. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox Business on Monday that up to 70 countries have reached out to Trump to begin trade negotiations.

Members of other industries, such as automobile and steel workers, have also praised Trump’s tariffs as a way of creating more industry jobs in the U.S. and helping American workers.

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