New Executive Orders: Impact on U.S. Timber and Import Reduction

Trump declares US timber a national security priority, signing executive orders to slash imports and put America first in forest management.

At a Glance

President Trump has issued executive orders to boost domestic timber production and reduce reliance on foreign imports
The orders direct the Department of Commerce to investigate potential unfair dumping of timber into US markets
The initiative classifies wood products as essential to national security and economic stability
Federal agencies will work to streamline environmental regulations that have restricted logging on 280 million acres of public lands
Industry leaders praise the move as necessary to restore American timber independence and reduce wildfire risks

America First Timber Policy

President Trump has taken decisive action to revitalize America’s timber industry through two significant executive orders that aim to reduce our dependence on foreign wood products. The first order directs the Department of Commerce to conduct a comprehensive review of timber imports, investigating potential unfair trade practices that have undermined domestic producers. The second elevates timber production to a matter of national security, acknowledging that our nation possesses abundant forest resources that have been underutilized due to restrictive federal policies. These executive orders represent a major shift in forest management philosophy after decades of declining domestic production.

Federal agencies will now explore methods to bypass environmental regulations that have effectively locked up over 280 million acres of national forests and public lands from responsible commercial logging. The timing aligns with new tariffs on timber from Canada, Mexico, and China that took effect March 4, creating a two-pronged approach to protecting American timber interests. Industry experts have long criticized previous administrations for creating a regulatory environment that favored cheaper imported lumber while American mills closed and forest health deteriorated under neglectful management practices.

Trump's executive order to ramp up US timber production hailed as a win by logging industry leader https://t.co/aRq1nnBrld

— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) March 5, 2025

Forest Mismanagement Crisis

The urgency behind Trump’s executive orders becomes clear when examining the numbers. The Forest Service currently manages 193 million acres, but only 35% is available for timber harvests despite overwhelming evidence that active management improves forest health. For two decades, forest mortality has consistently exceeded timber harvest rates, creating dangerous fuel loads across the landscape. Even more troubling, it takes the Forest Service an average of 3.6 years to complete environmental paperwork for basic forest treatments, while forests deteriorate and wildfire risks escalate to catastrophic levels.

“These are common sense directives Americans support and want from their Federal government, which owns about 30 percent of our nation’s forests. Our federal forests have been mismanaged for decades. Americans have paid the price in almost every way. Lost jobs, lost manufacturing, and infrastructure. Lost recreational opportunities like hunting and fishing, and access to our lands. Degraded wildlife populations, water, and air. Landscapes and communities devastated by wildfire. Our federal forests are facing an emergency. It’s time to start treating it like one by taking immediate action.” – Travis Joseph

Nearly 80 million acres of national forest land urgently need restoration to reduce wildfire, disease, and insect infestation risks. This restoration backlog represents not just an environmental crisis but a wasted economic opportunity. While the Forest Service currently sells enough timber to frame approximately 175,000 homes annually, they have the potential to increase that to 385,000 homes if their management plans are fully implemented. This timber could help address America’s housing shortage of at least 4.5 million homes while creating jobs in rural communities.

Trump executive orders to ramp up domestic timber production welcomed by logging industry – Scott Dane of the American Loggers Council weighs in on President Trump's executive orders to increase domestic lumber production while curbing foreign imports. https://t.co/dGeHHhnL1m

— Todd Piro (@ToddPiro) March 4, 2025

Industry Revival and Economic Security

The American Loggers Council (ALC) has enthusiastically endorsed Trump’s executive orders, with Executive Director Scott Dane expressing optimism about rebuilding the American timber industry. The ALC and the American Biomass Energy Association recently met with Trump to present a “roadmap to recovery” for an industry that has been devastated by overregulation and subsidized imports. Their message resonated with Trump, who has consistently championed American manufacturing and resource independence as core components of national security.

“The United States has an abundance of timber resources that are more than adequate to meet our domestic timber production needs, but heavy-handed federal policies have prevented full utilization of these resources and made us reliant on foreign producers.”

The executive orders specifically designate timber and wood products as “critical to our nation’s well-being,” establishing formal recognition of the industry’s strategic importance. By directing federal agencies to prioritize American timber and actively support domestic production, the orders aim to reverse decades of decline in rural timber communities. The potential economic impact extends beyond logging itself to sawmills, manufacturing facilities, and the construction industry, creating a ripple effect of job creation and economic revitalization in regions devastated by globalization and environmental overreach.