A new tariff on Canadian lumber threatens to further disrupt homebuilding at a time when lenders are increasingly concerned about a purchase mortgage resurgence that has failed to materialize.
Community banks, which could be the hardest hit if economic tensions between the U.S. and Mexico escalate into a tariff battle, are urging policymakers to refrain from rash action, and big banks are already trimming exposures.
Bank CEOs have recently raised red flags about the president's protectionist rhetoric, including his proposals to tax imports from China and Mexico. The concerns have arisen as import-export financing is already facing headwinds.
