As a key pillar of the state’s economy, Missouri’s forest products industry contributes over $10 billion annually. In the past, Missouri’s wood sector benefited from U.S.-China trade, but this traditional industry is now experiencing unprecedented disruption due to the lingering effects of tariffs imposed during the Trump administration. A sharp drop in export orders, collapsing market prices, and struggling businesses — this “butterfly effect” triggered by trade policy has pushed Missouri’s export-dependent wood industry into a “deep freeze” as summer approaches. According to the Missouri Forest Products Association, about 60% of the ...