International Pulp Week brought together global market pulp leaders for two days of presentations, market intelligence, and industry dialogue hosted by the Pulp and Paper Products Council. Tim Brown, vice president with PPPC opens and introduced the program before before handing the sessions to day one speaker and moderator Kevin Mason of ERA Forest Products Research, and day two moderator Kelly McNamara of Numera Analytics. Now in its 21st year, IPW remains the premier annual gathering for the market pulp sector — drawing producers, end-users, analysts, and suppliers from across the value chain for a concentrated look at the forces shaping global markets. This year’s program covered an unusually wide range of territory, from geopolitics and macroeconomics to fibre performance, specialty cellulose, bleaching chemicals, carbon capture, and a comprehensive market outlook. For those who missed Tree Frog’s coverage, here are all of our summarized stories.
Day One – May 11, 2026
- The Shifting Landscape with Kevin Mason, ERA Forest Products Research
- A Macro View on Tariffs and Global Markets with Joaquín Kritz Lara, Numera Analytics
- Optimizing Fibre, Elevating Performance with Rodrigo Marchi, Suzano
- Specialty Cellulose: Market Dynamics & Outlook with Christian Chavassieu, CelCo
- Carbon Capture in Pulp & Paper: Monetizing Biogenic CO2 with Jouni Martiskainen, Svante
Day Three – May 12, 2026
- Northern Softwood in TAD Tissue with Ismo Nousiainen, Metsä Fibre
- Global Trends in Bleaching & Pulping with Craig Murphy, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS
- Making the Right Fibre Choices with Aki Temmes, UPM Fibres
- Tissue and Other End-Uses with Mathieu Wener, Numera Analytics
- China and Asia in Focus with Li Meng, Pulp & Paper Products Council
- Global Pulp Markets: Review and Outlook with Emanuele Bona, Pulp & Paper Products Council
Key takeaways from Vancouver include:
The 2026 program confronted an unusually turbulent global backdrop — the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of conflict in Iran, escalating US trade policy uncertainty, and a global pulp market navigating the dual pressures of Latin American capacity expansion and China’s accelerating shift toward domestic self-sufficiency. Eleven speakers across two days addressed the forces reshaping the industry, from macroeconomics and fibre performance to specialty markets, chemical supply security, carbon capture, and a comprehensive market outlook. …
There’s no need to make the explanation of the carbon pricing, carbon capture and bitumen pipeline deal announced Friday by the federal and Alberta governments too complicated. It’s actually pretty simple. After all, notwithstanding their political differences, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith have more objectives in common right now than they don’t, so it couldn’t have been that hard for them to reach an agreement. …Of course they weren’t going to have all that much trouble finding ways to grant the Canadian oilpatch its wish. …Carney needs to keep his coalition together as well. Instead of MAGA separatists on the right who would really rather be part of the US… he needs to appease moderate green voters in BC and Quebec and somehow hold the country together. …If Carney is sneakily giving Eby a veto, British Columbia’s premier doesn’t seem too happy about it.
VANCOUVER, BC — Canfor Corporation announced today that its 77%-owned subsidiary, Vida AB, will permanently close its sawmill operations in Urshult and Orrefors, Sweden. “While this was a difficult decision, the closures are necessary given the ongoing imbalance between production capacity and access to fibre in southern Sweden,” said Karl-Johan Löwenadler, CEO of Vida AB. “By concentrating production in fewer more productive and efficient facilities, we will strengthen Vida’s competitiveness and better position the business for the future.” The closures will reduce Vida’s annual lumber production capacity by approximately 265,000 cubic metres. Following the closures, Vida will operate 13 sawmills across central and southern Sweden, along with its other facilities in packaging, specialty finishing, and logistics.
Canadian lumber mills are curtailing production, absorbing historic losses, and in some cases closing permanently – all while American competitors operate with a built-in margin advantage engineered by US tariff policy, according to wood market analyst Russ Taylor. …The practical effect is a marketplace that strongly favours US producers. Insulated from import costs, American mills are generating margins that Canadian suppliers cannot access. “The only region really making any money is the US because they’ve got what I call a huge subsidy that they’ve put on importers,” Taylor said. “So they’re gaining the margins that importers aren’t getting.” Those margins have also given US producers room to manoeuvre aggressively on pricing, further cornering their Canadian competitors. “The US mills… know that the Canadians don’t have margins – or they have break-even at best,” Taylor said. Despite the pressure, many Canadian mills have held on far longer than Taylor anticipated. 
CALGARY — Workers in sectors facing global tariff pressures will receive support to help them adapt, retrain and seize new opportunities as a result of a partnership agreement announced by
A $2-million grant from the Province to FPInnovations will lay the groundwork to help support the development of economic hubs intended to support and grow the forestry sector. The Make More in B.C. project will support B.C.’s wood products. …Economic hubs are at the heart of the Make More in B.C initiative, fostering regional collaboration, connecting local manufacturers with local contractors and First Nations partners, unlocking fibre and forging new opportunities. …Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests said “The Make More in B.C. project is about building a stronger, more resilient forest sector that is never again dependent on a single trading partner like the US.” Nick Arkle, CEO of Gorman Group, recently found success with this innovative concept. …The groundwork Arkle has laid through his Merritt-based working group, sets the foundation for BC’s first official economic hub in the Merritt Timber Supply Area.
ENGLEHART, Ontario — The Ontario government is investing $10 million in Georgia-Pacific North Woods to advance a major $191 million upgrade to its OSB plant. The project will support the increased production of Ontario-made wood products and protect more than 220 jobs and hundreds of indirect jobs in the region. …The province is making strategic investments to help forest sector businesses adapt, compete and grow to stay resilient in the face of US tariffs. …The government’s investment under the Forest Biomass Program will support Georgia-Pacific’s $191 million project, helping modernize and expand operations at its Englehart facility. The project includes upgrades to log processing operations, construction of new facilities, expansion of on-site storage and modern equipment. Once completed, these improvements will increase production by 14%, strengthening a key anchor facility in the northeast. Georgia-Pacific will also acquire a thermal energy system to use wood by-products for heat and power, supporting sustainable forest management by maximizing fibre value.
Lumber futures have been trading below $600 per thousand board feet since early April, as weaker consumer sentiment and uncertainty surrounding developments in the Middle East weigh on demand. At the same time, supply constraints in several regions have partially offset the decline in demand. Profitability for Canadian mills remains under pressure from elevated duties and tariffs. The US has recently outlined preliminary antidumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber, with the antidumping rate reduced from 20.6% to 10.7% and the countervailing duty trimmed from 14.6% to 14.2%, bringing the combined rate to about 25.9%. Including an existing 10% Section 232 tariff, total effective duties on Canadian imports are expected to remain near 35.9% once they take effect in August. Despite these measures aimed at supporting domestic producers, US sawmill utilisation remains relatively weak at around 64%, with capacity use trending lower since 2017.
BURNABY, BC — Interfor Corporation recorded a net loss in Q1’26 of $63.3 million, compared to a net loss of $104.6 million in Q4’25 and a net loss of $35.1 million in Q1’25. Adjusted EBITDA was $30.7 million on sales of $643.2 million in Q1’26 versus an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $29.2 million on sales of $600.6 million in Q4’25 and Adjusted EBITDA of $48.6 million on sales of $735.5 million in Q1’25. Highlights include: Lumber production of 856 million board feet was up 103 million board feet versus the preceding quarter driven primarily by higher operating rates at the U.S. Northwest and B.C. operations. Q4’25 production was impacted by temporary production curtailments in response to weak market conditions. Due to weak market conditions and other factors, Interfor indefinitely curtailed operations at its Ear Falls, Ontario sawmill in Q1’26 and at its Nairn and Gogama, Ontario sawmills in April 2026.
VANCOUVER, BC — Conifex Timber reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. EBITDA was negative $7.7 million for the quarter compared to EBITDA of negative $12.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and positive EBITDA of $4.9 million in the first quarter of 2025. Net loss was $9.4 million for the quarter versus a net loss of $11.4 million in the previous quarter and net income of $0.6 million in the first quarter of 2025. In March 2026, Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products, entered into a $19 million secured term loan with the Business Development Bank of Canada under the Softwood Lumber Guarantee Program… to support working capital and operations. In early February 2026, Conifex resumed sawmill operations at the Mackenzie Mill under a two-shift configuration following an extended period of single-shift operation. …The Power Plant continued to operate on its normal schedule.
WASHINGTON, D.C. and OTTAWA, ON — The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), along with others worldwide, shares the commitment to ensuring the health and resilience of forests. The European Union has identified the 
Despite budget cuts and extensive restructuring, the US Forest Service says it is ready to support Canada with any requests for wildfire assistance. The British Columbia Wildfire Service is also prepared to do the same, irrespective of strained trade relations, said BC Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar, who is responsible for the province’s wildfire service. …”Let me be very clear when it comes to fighting fires, we will always be there to support Americans in their time of need.” Parmar said that despite strained trade relations, he expects Americans will respond if called upon for support. …The US and Canada have a long history of supporting one another during difficult fire seasons, but this year the US Forest Service is facing budget cuts and restructuring. …”Any budget changes do not affect our firefighting capacity or limit our ability to provide support under our long-standing agreements,” the US Forest Service said.
Canada’s forests are managed responsibly, as expected by Canadians coast to coast to coast. Our forests support jobs and communities, are home to wildlife and biodiversity and must remain healthy for future generations. Forest management certification plays an important role in meeting those expectations by ensuring harvesting is carried out in a manner that respects and maintains the full range of environmental, social, and economic values across forest landscapes, while providing independent verification that forestry practices meet high standards. Forest management certification is a voluntary, third-party system …The three independent certification programs used in Canada – the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) Canada and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) – are applied voluntarily by different companies and groups, and information is often scattered across multiple sources. To make it more transparent and accessible, FPAC has brought this information together in one place through its 
ALBERTA — West Fraser says its proposed Mount Tecumseh Harvest Plan would cover 474 hectares and is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the company stating the work is part of a broader approach to sustainable forest management and wildfire risk reduction near communities. In an emailed response to the Crowsnest Pass Herald, Joyce Wagenaar, director of communications for West Fraser, said harvest planning is a key part of the company’s work and allows it to source timber for renewable wood products used in home construction and other purposes. “Harvesting plans are a key component of our work at West Fraser enabling us to responsibly source timber to produce renewable wood products to support home construction and other uses,” Wagenaar said. She said West Fraser views sustainable forest management as an approach that balances environmental, social and economic values over multiple generations. …Wagenaar said questions specifically about the provincial program would be best answered by the Government of Alberta.
The biggest comprehensive literature review to date has confirmed that Indigenous stewardship bolsters conservation goals. The literature review was published recently in People and Nature and found “a clear, positive relationship” between conservation and Indigenous stewardship, said lead author William Nikolakis, associate professor at the University of British Columbia faculty of forestry and environmental stewardship. “The evidence is clear that Indigenous Peoples’ lands do deliver conservation outcomes that are superior to, or at least equal to, state-run protected areas,” he told The Tyee. This is despite Indigenous lands largely not being protected by or formally recognized by their country, and Indigenous Peoples around the world largely not being paid for their stewardship by the state, Nikolakis said. In Canada, the federal government helps fund Indigenous Guardians who steward their traditional lands. Indigenous stewardship has a “value to humankind globally,” he said, and there’s an opportunity to boost it even further.
…forests absorb roughly 7.6 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide every year—double what they emit. That number hides some worrying trends. In Canada, logging and wildfires flipped Canadian forests from a net carbon reservoir to a net source about 25 years ago, according to the federal government. British Columbia responded by launching one of the world’s first large-scale projects designed to generate revenue for local communities by not logging old-growth forests. The model, which began in the Great Bear Rainforest in 2009 … created market value by putting a price on carbon locked in and absorbed by trees. …Cheakamus Community Forest forest raised $600,000 in forest carbon offsets in a single sale to a mining company… But while Cheakamus celebrates rising demand and higher prices, Gary Bull, a professor emeritus of forestry at the University of British Columbia, said B.C.’s decision to regulate the carbon market has made it nearly impossible for others to take part.
Sooke residents are being urged to prepare for an elevated wildfire season as dry conditions, low snowpack and an early campfire ban raise concerns across Vancouver Island. A campfire ban was implemented May 7 across the Coastal Fire Centre region, prohibiting all open burning and campfires until Oct. 31 or conditions improve. Officials say human-caused fires remain the leading cause of wildfires in British Columbia. At the same time, forestry company Mosaic Forest Management says it is expanding wildfire detection and mitigation efforts across its Vancouver Island land base, including areas around Sooke. According to the company, Vancouver Island entered the 2026 wildfire season under “precarious conditions,” with snowpack levels at 44 per cent of normal and forecasts calling for warmer and drier weather through June. Mosaic also noted that there is a 62 per cent chance of a strong El Niño developing later this summer, increasing the likelihood of prolonged heat and drought.
Two cutblocks proposed for Revelstoke’s Mount MacPherson are prompting Wildsight Revelstoke to engage B.C.’s lumber licensee about minimizing logging in that forest. Following a commenting period last year, BC Timber Sales (BCTS) is putting the two cutblocks, No. 52065 and No. 52066, up for sale… Combined, they cover 19.4 hectares of old- and second-growth forest. BCTS is currently welcoming applications for timber sales licences to harvest forest in these lots, as well as applications for road permits… Wildsight Revelstoke will meet a local BCTS representative this month to discuss the two proposed cutblocks, part of a larger conversation about several logging operations pitched by industry for north of town. …Ahead of its meeting with BCTS, Wildsight has been visiting Cutblocks 52065 and 52066 to appraise the towering cedar-hemlock trees and moisture-rich riparian habitats there. Black Press Media visited one of them with Wildsight Revelstoke board members Arnoul Mateo and Fabien Stocco.
A BC government decision to source a forest fertilizer outside the US for “political reasons” ended in disaster in an incident that killed 13 cattle and triggered a major environmental penalty. Every year, BC’s Forest Investment Program tenders contracts to fertilize thousands of hectares of forest across the province in projects meant to boost tree growth for harvesting and to capture carbon. One of the sub-contracts went to Western Aerial Applications in late September 2025. Its job was to use helicopters to scatter a newly sourced blend of fertilizer onto forests near Quesnel, BC. That plan fell apart when employees overfilled bags used to load helicopters with fertilizer. In at least six locations off Highway 26, the blue pellets spilled to the ground in unintended concentrations. …Tim Singer, a range officer with the Ministry of Forests, would later document 13 dead cows, including several found next to spilled fertilizer. 
VICTORIA, BC — The Honourable Nathalie Provost, Secretary of State (Nature), highlighted 16 projects across BC. These projects represent a $272 million investment to plant over 95 million trees, helping to protect nature and biodiversity in Canada by restoring critical habitats for species at risk and wildfire-affected areas, as well as supporting Indigenous-led reforestation efforts through tree planting. … Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature is based on three pillars for action to harmonize nature protection and economic growth: Protecting Nature in Canada, Building Canada Well, and Valuing Nature and Mobilizing Capital. Key components of the strategy include increasing our protected areas network on land and water. Elements to do this will include expanding our parks network and restoring critical habitats for species at risk, as well as recognizing and expanding on working landscapes or other effective conservation measures.
…In 2009, the Lil’wat and Squamish nations entered into a formal 25-year agreement with the Resort Municipality of Whistler to create the Cheakamus Community Forest—a more than 33,000-hectare patchwork of forested Crown land… Today, the
NEW BRUNSWICK — The Fredericton Fire Department is gearing up for what could be a busy wildfire season, training its firefighters in how best to respond when burning trees begin to threaten homes. Firefighters participated last week in a national training program aimed at offering crews techniques for defending homes against wildfires. These fires are an increasing threat to the city, both from climate change and from the growth of neighbourhoods beyond the city and suburbs. …”Working in the wildland interface, we’ve got to triage properties,” Sullivan said. “Oftentimes there’s not water sources nearby.” The training program is provided by the International Association of Firefighters, with 350 Canadian firefighters receiving it in 2023 and 2024. The training was funded by the federal government, which provided more funding in 2024 to train additional firefighters. …”As the line separating urban, suburban, and rural communities has blurred, wildfires are a threat spanning coast to coast.”
The amalgamation of Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities into nine regional bodies is expected to take effect in early 2027. A new directive from Environment Minister Todd McCarthy orders conservation authorities to halt any major decision-making processes, such as changing staffing structures or purchasing property, in the meantime. After a meeting between Environment Ministry officials and conservation authority staff on May 6, 2026, one public servant told The Narwhal, “The province has essentially handcuffed conservation authorities.” …A leaked document and a recording of an internal conversation between Ministry of Environment officials and conservation authority officials for this story. …In the recording, ministry officials are heard assuring attendees that they were happy to keep working with conservation authority staff, and that the government remains committed to preserving drinking water protections. But the officials repeatedly said things are still being figured out. They acknowledged the lack of answers was “not terribly reassuring” and “anxiety producing, probably” for conservation authorities. 
While Ontario has seen a much slower start to the wildfire season compared to last year, officials are warning people heading into the May long weekend that conditions can quickly change. There have been 22 wildfires confirmed in the province since the season began April 1, compared to 68 fires this time last year, said Alison Bezubiak, a fire information officer with Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in the northwest region. “The 10-year average for this date is 56, so we are below last year and the 10-year average in terms of total number of fires confirmed,” she told CBC News Thursday morning. One small fire, measuring 0.1 hectares, is being held in the Kenora district near Grassy Narrows First Nation as of Thursday. However, forest fire danger ratings range throughout the region, with the Fort Frances area seeing extreme hazard levels, according to the province’s interactive forest fire map.
NOVA SCOTIA — The Province continues to support the forestry sector by making wood heat and building materials a priority in public buildings. A request for proposals issued Thursday, May 14, will see five buildings converted to heating systems that use local wood products. “We are seizing an opportunity to prioritize a local product from our forestry sector that also makes our province more self-reliant and energy secure,” said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley. “By using more local wood products, we are creating jobs, growing our economy and creating a brighter future for Nova Scotia.” …This is the first major project under the government’s wood initiative announced in July 2025. The deadline for submissions is June 24. Using wood products aligns with the Nova Scotia Loyal program, reduces reliance on imports and enhances export markets. It also supports the forestry sector, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps the province move to a low-carbon economy.
MONTRÉAL – With global warming, rainfall is increasingly falling in short, intense, concentrated bursts separated by longer dry periods, and these changes could have a potentially devastating effect on the planet. These are the conclusions of a new study co‑authored by Corey Lesk, at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and Justin S. Mankin, at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. … They observed that regardless of the total amount of water received annually, this new rainfall regime alters how precipitation is absorbed by the soil and promotes greater aridity across the Earth’s surface. “Drought is often measured by what is lacking–the total amount of rainfall–but how precipitation falls is just as important,” explains Professor Corey Lesk. “This new type of rainfall regime leads to increased evaporation at the land surface, limiting the soil’s ability to retain moisture, and thus reducing the amount of water available on land for human populations and ecosystems.”
Residents and long-weekend travellers are encouraged to plan, be prepared and stay safe this Victoria Day long weekend as fire prohibitions take effect in parts of B.C. Most new wildfires at this time of year are preventable. People are asked to take precautions with any fire use, stay up to date on current wildfire activity, check for road closures, evacuation alerts and orders, and pay attention to weather conditions. Know the campfire restrictions wherever you are: Category 2 and 3 open fire prohibitions are in place throughout the Cariboo Fire Centre, Coastal Fire Centre, Kamloops Fire Centre and parts of the Prince George Fire Centre and Northwest Fire Centre. Effective Friday, May 15, 2026, noon, the Category 1 campfire prohibition will be rescinded throughout the Coastal Fire Centre. 
The Occupational Health and Safety Regulation provides that, except as otherwise determined by WorkSafeBC, an employer must ensure no worker is exposed to a substance exceeding the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) prescribed by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Twice a year, the ACGIH publishes a list of substances for which they have set new or revised TLVs. When WorkSafeBC adopts the new or revised ACGIH TLVs as regulatory exposure limits for chemical substances, these exposure limits are referred to as B.C. Exposure Limits (ELs). An EL is the maximum allowed airborne concentration for a chemical substance for which it is believed that nearly all workers may be exposed over a working lifetime and experience no adverse health effects. ELs may be set out as an 8-hour time-weighted average concentration, a 15-minute short-term exposure limit, or a ceiling limit.
Cooler temperatures and recent rainfall are helping wildfire crews contain fires across northwestern Ontario after a stretch of hot, windy conditions sparked multiple new blazes late last week. As of late Monday afternoon, there were five active fires in the northwest region, according to Ontario’s fire map. One fire near Dryden is not under control, at about 150 hectares. Five fires are being held, and three are under control. “Recent wet weather is really helping to moderate conditions following multiple new fire starts that happened late last week in the northwest region amid some high winds and some warm temperatures,” said fire information officer Chris Marchand. Marchand said overnight rainfall has already helped crews make progress, particularly in the Fort Frances fire management area.
The government says it is fighting three fires in the Northwest Territories, and it says humans caused two of the fires. It says one human-caused wildfire in the South Slave region is under control. It says the fire measuring about 0.0001 square kilometres, or roughly the size of a large house, began on Monday. The Environment and Climate Change website describes the blaze as a “camp fire escaped.” The government says it is also fighting an out-of-control overwintering fire, scorching about 0.05 square kilometres in the South Slave region that began on May 9. An overwinter fire is one that remains dormant or undetected for a considerable amount of time after it starts. The government says the overwinter fire was found using infrared scanning along the perimeter of the Fort Providence wildfire last year. It says firefighters will attack hotspots found by scanning and get rid of the “remaining heat” using heavy equipment.
Crews fighting to contain a fire threatening homes mere kilometres from the community of Whitecourt are bracing for gusting winds Wednesday that could fan the flames. The wildfire, which now spans across more than 50 hectares of forest in Woodlands County, has forced hundreds of people to evacuate their homes. The wildfire continues to burn near homes in the area of West Ridge. As of Tuesday night, the fire remained approximately 3.5 km southeast of the Town of Whitecourt and less than 1 km south of Highway 43. As the evacuation enters its third day, the forecast could prove critical in how the fire-fight unfolds. Officials said strong wind gusts Wednesday could make conditions more challenging but they hope cooler temperatures and calm winds prevail. …at least one home has been lost to the flames. …As of Tuesday evening, approximately 150 families, 424 individuals and 350 pets had registered (at the evacuation centre).
As cooler, rainier weather has eased wildfire risks in northwestern Ontario, a number of travel restrictions have been lifted in the region. An implementation order was first issued Saturday near a wildfire known as Fort Frances 5 in the Dryden, Fort Frances and Atikokan district, limiting travel and certain activities. On Sunday, a second implementation order was put in place due to a fire called Fort Frances 4 in the same district “to ensure public safety and/or to ensure effective fire suppression.” Both orders were lifted Tuesday evening. “All travel and the use of roads and lakes in the areas previously identified are available and residents may return to their properties. Wildland fire suppression activities are ongoing on Fort Frances 4 and Fort Frances 5, but public safety relating to these fires is no longer a concern,” according to the province’s 
