Tree farmers getting competition from artificial tree makers

(CNN)– Christmas is just days away, and the tree farmers who produce holiday trees are dealing with a new reality.

They are competing with companies that make artificial trees.

An organization that promotes real Christmas trees says people are not buying real Christmas trees in the numbers that they did 50 or even 40 years ago.

The real Christmas tree board says artificial trees have taken a big bite out of the live tree business.

Imported artificial trees have doubled over the past decade, but that number fell a little this year because of President Trump’s tariffs.