How one local sawmill is already feeling the effects of new tariffs
FLAT TOP, WV (WVNS) — With President Trump's tariffs on lumber being exported and imported to and from the country now in effect, many may be wondering how our sawmills here in the states are faring.
How local cattle farmers feel about the new tariffs
On April 5, President Trump imposed a minimum 10-percent tariff on all countries that the United State has trade agreements with.
According to The White House's official website, another individualized tax will be imposed on the countries the United States has the highest trade deficits with.
That will take effect on April 9th.
Even before another tax is added, our local sawmills are already feeling the effects of the tariffs.
John Beeson, Procurement Forester for Meador Wood Products in Flat Top, said it's going to be rough for local sawmills for a while.
'Well, there's already orders being cancelled for lumber that's being shipped overseas, of course. But it also effects stuff that's here domestically just because it's just a ripple effect. I mean, and it's gonna be painful for a little while until we work through it,' said Beeson.
Beeson said his company has lumber on ships right now.
This lumber was previously heading to other countries but is now just floating on the open ocean until it's decided who will pay the tariff – the sawmill or whoever ordered the lumber.
He said the major products his company exports are West Virginia hardwoods, such as red and white oak.
Beeson said the tariffs will result in exports being worth less than previous years.
For example, if a company overseas orders lumber that would normally be priced for a thousand dollars, then the overseas company will only want to pay eight hundred dollars for the lumber so that the remaining money can be used for the tariff.
Beeson said, in his opinion, this could be a good thing in the long run.
'We shouldn't be exporting or importing as much as we are. Exporting's okay, but we shouldn't be exporting logs and lumber. We should be using it here and getting more products out of it, then shipping it. We're not the end users, and that's the biggest thing. And that's what he's, in theory that's what we're trying to do, or Trump's trying to do.' said Beeson.
More than $20 million in FEMA Disaster Assistance approved in West Virginia
Beeson said we're shipping logs and lumber to other countries who then turn them into value-added products and turn around and export those products back to the United States for a larger profit.
He hopes the new tariffs will encourage the country to use the raw goods they have, such as logs and lumber, by turning them into specialty products and then shipping them to other countries to create a larger profit margin here at home.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
24 minutes ago
- New York Times
What Is the National Guard?
Several hundred soldiers were deployed to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday, as demonstrations against President Trump's immigration crackdown raged for a third day. The troops were members of the California National Guard, called in by the president against the wishes of Gov. Gavin Newsom. Not since 1965 has a president summoned a state's National Guard against the will of a governor. Mr. Trump cited a rarely used law enabling him to bypass the governor in the event of 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' Mr. Newsom called the move a 'serious breach of state sovereignty' and asked Mr. Trump to reverse his order. The National Guard is a state-based military force made up of hundreds of thousands of trained soldiers who live in communities across the country and typically serve only part time. Most hold civilian jobs or attend college. All new recruits must pass basic training. Once they're in, they participate in regular drills, usually one weekend each month, and a two-week-long training each year. The tradition of state-based militias is older than the nation itself. The National Guard traces its history to 1636, when the legislature of the Massachusetts Bay Colony formally organized its militia into regiments. Militias composed of nonprofessional civilian soldiers played a critical role in the Revolutionary War and, when the first standing American army was established in 1775, state militias continued to exist alongside it. Guard troops are activated only when they need to be — most often during natural disasters, wars or civil unrest. Both governors and the president have the power to activate the National Guard. A president's decision to activate the Guard often comes at the request of state or local officials. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush did so in response to the Rodney King riots after California's governor asked him to. At Sunday's protests in Los Angeles, National Guard troops appeared to largely refrain from engaging with demonstrators, even as federal immigration and homeland security officers and the city police fired crowd-control munitions at the protesters. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Hill
25 minutes ago
- The Hill
Harris calls Trump's LA response ‘dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos'
Former Vice President Harris criticized President Trump's deployment of the National Guard in her home city of Los Angeles and stressed the importance of the right to protest. In a statement on the social platform X, the former California attorney general and U.S. senator said she's 'appalled at what we are witnessing on the streets of our city.' 'Deploying the National Guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos,' she continued. 'In addition to the recent ICE raids in Southern California and across our nation, it is part of the Trump Administration's cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.' 'This Administration's actions are not about public safety — they're about stoking fear,' she added. 'Fear of a community demanding dignity and due process.' Harris said she supports the protesters, who, she said, have been 'overwhelmingly peaceful.' 'Protest is a powerful tool – essential in the fight for justice. And as the LAPD, Mayor, and Governor have noted, demonstrations in defense of our immigrant neighbors have been overwhelmingly peaceful,' Harris said. 'I continue to support the millions of Americans who are standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms,' she added. Her statement comes as tensions mounted in Los Angeles on Sunday, as police clashed with protesters and made dozens of arrests. Trump made the extraordinary decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard members, about 300 of whom have already been deployed in the city, as of Sunday afternoon. Trump said they were deployed to counter what he called 'insurrectionist mobs.' The administration's response to the protests has drawn widespread condemnation from Democrats. All 23 Democratic governors issued a joint statement pushing back against the federalization of National Guard units without Gov. Gavin Newsom's request or consent.
Politico
28 minutes ago
- Politico
Protests intensify in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES — Tensions in Los Angeles escalated Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to President Donald Trump's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major freeway and setting autonomous vehicles on fire as local law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash bangs to control the crowd. Some police patrolled the streets on horseback while others with riot gear lined up behind Guard troops deployed to protect federal facilities including a detention center where some immigrants were taken in recent days. The clashes came on the third day of demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown in the region, as the arrival of around 300 federal troops spurred anger and fear among some residents. By midday, hundreds had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where people were detained after earlier immigration raids. Protesters directed chants of 'shame' and 'go home' at members of the National Guard, who stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields. After some protesters closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street. The arrival of the National Guard followed two days of protests that began Friday in downtown Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a heavily Latino city south of the city, and neighboring Compton. As federal agents set up a staging area Saturday near a Home Depot in Paramount, demonstrators attempted to block Border Patrol vehicles, with some hurling rocks and chunks of cement. In response, agents in riot gear unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls. Tensions were high after a series of sweeps by immigration authorities the previous day, as the weeklong tally of immigrant arrests in the city climbed above 100. A prominent union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement. The recent protests remain far smaller than past events that have brought the National Guard to Los Angeles, including the Watts and Rodney King riots, and the 2020 protests against police violence, in which Gov. Gavin Newsom requested the assistance of federal troops. Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until California Highway Patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon.
