New Tariffs are Increasing Concern for Homebuilder Industry

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department, total U.S. housing starts fell 12.3 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.17 million units.

The June reading of 1.17 million is the number of housing units builders would begin if they kept this pace for the next 12 months. Within this overall number, single-family starts fell 9.1 percent to 858,000 units. Meanwhile, the multifamily sector -- which includes apartment buildings and condos -- dropped 19.8 percent to 315,000.

Overall, permits -- which are a sign of likely future housing production -- dropped 2.2 percent to 1.27 million units in June, the lowest level of the year. Although single-family permits edged up 0.8 percent to 850,000, they remain at their second lowest reading of 2018. Multifamily permits fell 7.6 percent to 423,000.

"We have been warning the administration for months that the ongoing increases in lumber prices stemming from both the tariffs and profiteering this year are having a strong impact on builders' ability to meet growing consumer demand," said NAHB Chairman Randy Noel. "This is why we continue to urge senior officials to take leadership and resolve this issue."

While overall production is 7.8 percent higher than its level over the same period last year, the June report raises concerns about a softening in housing production over the near term.

"The concern over material costs, especially lumber, is making it more difficult to build homes at competitive price points, particularly for newcomers entering the housing market. Moreover, the soft permit report does not suggest a significant increase in housing production in the near term," said NAHB Senior Economist Michael Neal. "However, consumer demand for single-family housing continues to increase as the overall economy and labor market strengthen."

Combined single- and multifamily housing starts fell in all regions of the country. Starts fell 3 percent in the West, 9.1 percent in the South, 35.8 percent in the Midwest and 40 percent in the Northeast.

Looking at regional permit data, permits rose 6.2 percent in the South. Permits fell 1.8 percent in the West, 16.4 percent in the Northeast and 18.7 percent in the Midwest.