Canada-U.S. commerce struggle will increase the price of constructing a house, housing minister says

As Canada braces for U.S. President Donald Trump to impose steep tariffs on Canadian items, Housing Minister Nathaniel Erskine-Smith says the price of homebuilding goes to go up — regardless of an pressing want for extra housing inventory.

“I’m alive to the concern. The government is alive to the concern. The list of retaliatory measures is alive to that concern,” Erskine-Smith mentioned in an interview on CBC’s The Home.

Canada is staring down the barrel of a commerce struggle with the US, which may start early subsequent month. A 25 per cent tariff on most Canadian and Mexican items was paused till March 4.

The federal authorities has vowed to impose counter-tariffs if Trump follows via on his threats. Again in February, it printed a listing of American items it might goal in a counterattack, together with kitchen and toilet home equipment and plastic constructing supplies.

Erskine-Smith instructed host Catherine Cullen that Canada’s prime problem is keeping off Trump’s tariffs. The subsequent greatest problem, in his view, is constructing as a lot housing as doable.

WATCH | How a looming Canada-U.S. commerce struggle is affecting the B.C. housing market:

Looming U.S. commerce struggle creates uncertainty in B.C. housing market

An impending commerce struggle with the US has sparked uncertainty in B.C.’s housing market. Trade leaders say development prices for brand spanking new developments are already sky-high and retaliatory tariffs on U.S. supplies would drive them up even additional. The CBC’s Jon Hernandez explains the way it may all delay future housing tasks.

“Those challenges are at odds with one another, because as we see greater uncertainty because of the tariffs, as we see cost increases on certain materials, prices of homebuilding are going to go up. And we need the exact opposite to happen,” he mentioned.

In an announcement from earlier this month condemning Trump’s tariffs, the Canadian Residence Builders’ Affiliation (CHBA) mentioned counter-tariffs on development merchandise and supplies would “be detrimental to an industry that is struggling in many parts of Canada already.”

‘A pretty big cloud’: Developer

Brad Carr, CEO of homebuilding big Mattamy Houses Canada, mentioned he’s fearful in regards to the influence of tariffs on the Canadian financial system total. He added the uncertainty across the looming commerce struggle “is creating a pretty big cloud over the housing space right now.”

If the price of constructing properties goes up, pushed by larger costs for objects imported from the U.S. like home equipment or plumbing fixtures, Carr mentioned his firm would “have to pass those through to the buyer.”

“We have a lot of stakeholders that we need to cater to — investors, bankers.… So those costs can’t be absorbed, particularly at a time when housing is already under a lot of pressure.”

Carr mentioned his firm would attempt to discover new suppliers and seek for different methods “to keep costs down as much as possible.”

Brad Carr, the CEO of homebuilding big Mattamy Houses Canada, says his firm must cross prices to shoppers if Trump’s tariffs increase the value of supplies, however it might additionally search for different suppliers to maintain prices down as a lot as doable. (Benjamin Lopez Steven/CBC)

The CHBA mentioned that Canadian importers within the residential provide chain would want to take a look at alternate options to U.S. items after Canada ranges its counter-tariffs.

“This will take time, and products will still likely be more expensive than the U.S. goods prior to tariffs, though they may be less than the 25 per cent increase,” the CHBA mentioned in its assertion.

Carr mentioned Canada is in “a real time of uncertainty” with “heaps to be discovered and hopefully heaps to be solved earlier than it ever occurs.

“The first help I’d ask for is to solve the trade war,” Carr mentioned. “But that’s probably a big ask.”