Tariffs are still not affecting Canadian home improvement retailers en masse. But the supply chain is starting to fill with products that are subject to tariffs. But some suppliers are eating the difference.
The first tranche of American products—$30 billion annually—to get hit by Canadian government counter-tariffs includes a significant number of back-end LBM categories, ranging from plywood and OSB to engineered wood.
Kelvin Johnston, senior buyer, commodity lumber and panels, at Castle Building Centres Group, points out that some vendors are currently absorbing the tariffs. “They have a lot of product on the ground that was brought in before the tariffs were in place. Some vendors have already changed their pricing. And some will do it on a SKU-by-SKU basis as they run through their current inventory.”
(A deeper examination of lumber tariffs appears in this week’s edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Weekly Report. HWR is reserved for Premium Members only. Click here to learn more about becoming a Premium Member of Hardlines!)
