Boise Cascade says tariffs could impact product pricing

The company said, “Demand for the products we manufacture, as well as the products we purchase and distribute, is correlated with new residential construction, residential repair-and-remodeling activity, and light commercial construction. Residential construction, particularly new single-family construction, is the key demand driver for the products we manufacture and distribute. As reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, housing starts were 1.37 million in 2024. Current industry forecasts for U.S. housing starts are approximately 1.35 million in 2025. Single-family starts in 2024 outpaced 2023 levels by 7%, and are expected to remain at approximately 1.0 million, despite the affordability challenges consumers are facing in the current rate environment. Multi-family starts declined sharply in 2024 and are expected to continue to face headwinds in 2025 due to prohibitive capital costs for developers, combined with elevated levels of multi-family unit completions in 2023 and 2024. We expect 2025 to reflect modest growth in home improvement spending, as the age of U.S. housing stock, elevated levels of homeowner equity, and recent improvement in existing home sales will provide a favorable backdrop for repair-and-remodel spending. Ultimately, macroeconomic factors, the level and expectations for mortgage rates, home affordability, home equity levels, home size, levels of new and existing home inventory for sale, and other factors will influence the near-term demand environment for the products we manufacture and distribute. As a manufacturer of certain commodity products, we have sales and profitability exposure to declines in commodity product prices and rising input costs. Our distribution business purchases and resells a broad mix of products with periods of increasing prices providing the opportunity for higher sales and increased margins, while declining price environments expose us to declines in sales and profitability. Future product pricing, particularly commodity products pricing and input costs, may be volatile in response to economic uncertainties, industry operating rates, supply-related disruptions, transportation constraints or disruptions, net import and export activity, inventory levels in various distribution channels, and seasonal demand patterns. In addition, changes in laws or government regulations, such as the imposition of tariffs, could impact our product pricing and input costs.”