American sawmills are collapsing at an alarming rate, with at least one going out of business every week, as foreign trade retaliation and synthetic alternatives devastate an industry that built America.
Story Highlights
- Over 4% of U.S. sawmills lost to closures as industry faces “perfect storm” of challenges
- China’s retaliatory tariffs cost American lumber exporters half their market share to foreign competitors
- Big-box stores push 200+ fake “luxury” vinyl options while offering only 4-5 real hardwood products
- 450+ sawmills desperately petition the Trump administration for relief as expenses double while sales plummet
Industry Faces Unprecedented Crisis
The Hardwood Federation estimates that at least one American sawmill closes permanently every week, with the National Hardwood Lumber Association reporting over 4% of U.S. sawmills lost due to closures and consolidations.
Johnny Evans of Evans Lumber Co. in Manchester, Tennessee, shut down operations during Thanksgiving week due to insufficient orders, describing the situation as “deathly quiet” compared to the company’s usual three-day weekly operations. Equipment from failed sawmills now floods auction markets as desperate owners liquidate assets.
"US sawmills warn closures rising amid tariffs, weakened demand" https://t.co/xxI9AM0VZe
— Scott Lincicome (@scottlincicome) December 4, 2025
Foreign Retaliation Devastates Export Markets
Trade tensions dating to 2018 triggered devastating foreign retaliation against American hardwood exports, particularly from China, where lumber was the second-most exported U.S. product.
Chinese buyers abandoned American suppliers, causing lumber exporters to lose roughly half their market share to competitors in Russia, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Current 2025 trade negotiations intensify existing pressures, with Vietnamese buyers explicitly linking their purchases to American trade policies, further destabilizing markets for struggling producers.
Trump’s Tariffs Spark Industry Plea for Relief
President Trump’s September 2025 tariffs of 10% on lumber and 25% on furniture and cabinets prompted over 450 U.S. sawmills to sign a desperate plea for relief to the Agriculture Department and White House.
The Hardwood Federation letter requested prioritization during China trade negotiations, with executive director Dana Lee Cole explaining that the industry had become “a victim of retaliation” as foreign markets declined under tariff pressure.
NHLA executive director Dallin Brooks noted that 2025 conditions are worse than during the 2017 trade dispute, which caused 20-25% declines in exports.
Synthetic Alternatives Flood Consumer Markets
Big-box retailers aggressively market synthetic and vinyl products as “luxury” alternatives, fundamentally altering consumer access to real wood products.
Claire Getty of Huntland, Tennessee, reports that typical stores offer over 200 wood-look vinyl plank options while stocking only 4 to 5 solid hardwood products.
This marketing strategy convinces consumers that plastic alternatives are premium choices, even though Getty believes consumers genuinely want authentic wood when it is available through retail channels.
Industry Leaders Demand Washington Action
Sawmill owners plan a coordinated trip to Washington, D.C., in early 2026 to directly petition representatives and the Trump administration for industry salvation.
Getty emphasized the industry’s fundamental value, stating “We are an industry that’s worth saving” as losses ripple from sawmills to tree farmers throughout the supply chain.
The combination of foreign trade retaliation and synthetic product marketing creates, as Cole describes, a “perfect storm” threatening an industry essential to American manufacturing independence.
