Trump Orders Investigation Into Lumber Ahead of Likely Tariffs

US President Donald Trump is ordering the Commerce Department to launch an investigation into the national security harm posed by lumber imports, laying the legal groundwork for new tariffs he’s pledged.

The investigation will examine whether exporters like Canada, Germany, and Brazil are dumping lumber into US markets at the expense of American economic prosperity and national security, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.

Officials will examine the impact of foreign government subsidies, predatory trade practices, and derivative products — and particularly if countries like China are artificially depressing the price of ...