A light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to appear with both Prime Minister Carney and US President Trump signalling a trade deal is in the works. …It is unclear at this stage whether the terms will alleviate the layers of duties and tariffs facing BC’s softwood lumber sector. Some of these levies were introduced by Trump and are known as Section 232 tariffs, referring to the section of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act relied on to impose them. Others are duties that predate Trump’s election and are part of a long-standing market fairness dispute between the countries. “Although the pause is a positive step, the implications for Canada’s forest sector are not yet clear,” said Kim Haakstad, on behalf of the BC Council of Forest Industries and the BC Lumber Trade Council. “Key issues, including the Section 232 tariff on lumber and the softwood lumber dispute, remain central to these discussions.”
Related coverage by:
- Emily Joveski, AM 1150: BC lumber industry hoping for trade relief in new deal
- Forest Products Association of Canada: FPAC welcomes decision to pause implementation of Section 338 tariffs
- Kim Haakstad, COFI: COFI and BCLTC Statement on Canada-US Trade Talks