At a recent forestry summit in Vancouver, politicians from British Columbia and Ottawa gathered to address the challenges facing the industry due to escalating U.S. fees and tariffs. The American government imposed significant anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Canadian companies, citing national security concerns, with additional tariffs added last month.
The forestry sector in British Columbia, which sustains tens of thousands of jobs, has been particularly impacted by these measures. While the federal government allocated $1.2 billion in support for the softwood lumber industry earlier, Premier David Eby has advocated for more assistance.
Following the summit, Eby expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between the federal government and the province on establishing a working group. Kim Haakstad, President of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, emphasized the importance of involving the industry in the working group to address challenges in keeping mills operational and expedite the distribution of federal funds. The consensus among stakeholders is to prioritize securing a new softwood lumber agreement to navigate the current market uncertainties effectively.