The new tariffs, which went into effect Tuesday, impact foreign lumber, timber, and wood products like kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. The Trump Administration said in a statement at the end of September that the tariffs would protect the American wood industry.
Concerns are increasing nationwide about how the new tariffs could impact the supply of new housing.
Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County Executive VP & CEO Paul Kane says there's no need for home buyers in the triangle to worry.
"The tariffs will have an impact today, but maybe it's not locally," he said. "Home buyers, don't be alarmed yet. These things take many, many months to kind of get worked into the system."
Kane says it's too early to know the impact the tariffs could have on new home construction in the Triangle.
"That tariff gets imposed at the import phase, so then that lumber comes in as a form of timber, and that has to go through sawmills, so that takes some time," said Kane.
The ABC News Data Team is taking a look at data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Data shows nationwide homes under construction are down compared to this time last year.
Single-family homes under construction are down more than 5% compared to October 2024.
Even fewer multifamily homes are being built, with a drop of more than 20%.
Overall, the number of homes under construction in the country is down more than 13% compared to a year ago.
Local experts here in the Triangle say lumber isn't the only factor influencing the number of new homes being built.
"The pricing of lumber affected by tariffs is just one of so many components," said Kane. "We've been facing labor shortages for many years, and that obviously has a significant impact on the price of housing."
Kane says housing trends in the Triangle may be defying national statistics.
He says the housing inventory in Wake County is growing closer to pre-pandemic levels.
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