The United States has increased countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber [from 6.74% to 14.63%], bringing the total duties on lumber to 35.19%. The decision was announced on Friday by the US Department of Commerce. Although the escalating fees were anticipated, they still drew swift condemnation and words of alarm from industry and political leaders in BC and Ontario, who say it is yet the latest example of unfair treatment of the industry from their largest and most important international partner. “Two words describe Donald Trump’s latest move to increase countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber: absurd and reckless,” B.C.’s Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said. “Adding these additional softwood duties … will only worsen an affordability crisis on both sides of the border.”
In response to the increase in countervailing duties:
- Kim Haakstad, Council of Forest Industries: COFI condemns doubling of duties. Urges action to improve business environment for forestry in BC
- Government of Ontario Ministers: Ontario renews calls for removal of duties on softwood lumber exports
- Kurt Niquidet, BC Lumber Trade Council: Urges Canada and the US governments to make resolving the dispute a top economic priority
- Northern Ontario Municipalities: Softwood lumber tariffs ‘deal a serious blow’ to northern forestry sector
The US and Canada are fighting about lumber once again. The neighbors have feuded over softwood lumber since the 1980s. The US has periodically put in place duties to counteract what it claims are unfair subsidies and sales of lumber priced below market value. …Canada has long resisted changing its trade practices on lumber. But as the Trump administration has become more bellicose about its trade relationship with Canada, the country’s stance may be softening. On July 16, BC Premier Eby said that Canadian officials are now open to putting a quota on the amount of lumber exported to the US. The increased fees will benefit foresters in the US South… but the US would struggle to offset the lumber it gets from Canada in the short-term, potentially driving up housing prices. Here’s what to know about the commodity that has long dominated US-Canada trade tensions. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]
Since Feb. 1, 2025, Canada has been plunged into a major trade war, triggered by U.S. President Donald Trump. …These measures threaten thousands of jobs and destabilize the deeply integrated supply chains between the two countries. This is not the first time Canada has faced such a threat. In 2018, similar tariffs were imposed by the same president but lifted in 2019 with the conclusion of the CUSMA. The difference today is the far greater scale and scope of the trade war. …The USW calls for a robust industrial strategy to reduce Canada’s dependence on U.S. trade. Priority must be given to steel, aluminum, wood and materials manufactured in Canada in all government-funded projects. Public money must be used to support Canadian jobs. The union is also calling for a tax credit to encourage the procurement of Canadian-manufactured goods, as well as the creation of strategic reserves of critical minerals to stabilize demand and secure supply chains.
The US lumber industry says new financial support pledged by Canada to domestic forestry companies risks deepening the neighbors’ long-running trade dispute, and may result in yet more import taxes. Last week Prime Minister Mark Carney promised as much as C$1.2 billion in loan guarantees, grants and contributions for Canadian sawmills to pursue product development and market diversification — in response to what he said were unjustified US import taxes. Three days later, US Department of Commerce separately confirmed it would more than double combined anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Canadian softwood lumber. …“We will absolutely be asking Commerce to look at whether companies received a distortive benefit from this package,” said Whitney Rolig, who acts as lead attorney for the US Lumber Coalition. …The Quebec Forest Industry Council said that “even the Department of Commerce has long since ceased to consider loan guarantees as subsidies,” and the aid package also aims to boost domestic demand.
As of mid-2025, the global tariff environment has grown increasingly unpredictable. The United States has reinforced its protectionist stance with new and expanded duties aimed at key trade partners. Most notably, a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil was enacted, targeting a wide range of products. Wood pulp and certain industrial inputs were explicitly exempted, though lingering confusion around the policy’s scope has led companies to reassess sourcing strategies. …Many of the early US tariffs implemented—such as those targeting Canadian softwood lumber, Chinese finished goods, and EU paperboard products—remain in place. …In response to this complex tariff environment, companies are increasingly focusing on supplier diversification, regional trade agreements, and nearshoring strategies to reduce risk. While some nations—like Mexico and Chile—have emerged as viable alternatives for sourcing pulp, packaging, and paper products, the reshuffling of trade lanes is still underway. 
The pieces might be falling into place for Wyoming’s timber industry to make a strong comeback, legislators and land management officials said. The volume of timber being cut in Wyoming might outpace the state’s few remaining sawmills to meet the demand. The increase in demand coincides with tariffs being placed on Canadian lumber. …Long-term success of expanding the Wyoming timber industry hinges on building back the “local timber industry,” instead of trucking logs to mills in other states, Bighorn National Forest Supervisor Andrew Johnson said. Wyoming timber products could include “finger-jointed two-by-four” boards, as well as wooden posts and poles, he said. Johnson made his remarks before the Wyoming Legislature’s Select Federal Natural Resources Committee. He and other land management officials gave optimistic reports as they informed the committee about the outlook for logging and lumber milling in Wyoming, due to recent state and federal policy changes.
Lumber futures fell toward $610 per thousand board feet, retreating from the May-2022 high of $695.5 seen August 1st as weakening demand, recovering supply and tariff-driven trade distortions jointly sapped pricing power. Demand has cooled sharply with US single-family starts slipping to an 11-month low and building permits plunging, a direct consequence of elevated mortgage rates that curbs the core market for lumber. On the supply side, sawmills remain under-utilized but production has stabilized and Canadian mills are ramping output off a curtailment-heavy base, Statistics Canada shows production and shipments recovering into mid-2025, keeping physical availability ample. Tariffs meant to restrict Canadian flows are, in this oversupplied environment, simply redirecting trade and encouraging inventory build rather than creating scarcity, so inventories remain high and limit upside even as duties rise.
BURNABY, BC — Interfor recorded net earnings in Q2’25 of $11.1 million compared to a net loss of $35.1 million in Q1’25 and a net loss of $75.8 million Q2’24. Adjusted EBITDA was $17.2 million on sales of $780.5 million in Q2’25 versus Adjusted EBITDA of $48.6 million on sales of $735.5 million in Q1’25 and an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $16.7 million on sales of $771.2 million in Q2’24. …North American lumber markets over the near term are expected to remain volatile as the economy continues to adjust to changing monetary policies, tariffs, labour shortages and geo-political uncertainty. …Overall, the Company is well positioned to navigate this volatility with a diversified product mix in Canada and the US, with approximately 60% of its total lumber produced and sold within the US Ultimately, only about 25% of the Company’s total lumber production is exported from Canada to the U.S. and exposed to duties and any potential tariff.
VANCOUVER, BC – Western Forest Products reported its second quarter 2025 financial results. Highlights include: Revenue of $289.1 million (versus $309.5 million in the second quarter of 2024, and $262.5 million in the first quarter of 2025); Adjusted EBITDA of $0.5 million in the second quarter of 2025 (versus $9.4 million in the second quarter of 2024, and $3.5 million in the first quarter of 2025; Net loss was $17.4 million in the second quarter of 2025, as compared to a net loss of $5.7 million in the second quarter of 2024, and net income of $13.8 million in the first quarter of 2025. …Markets in North America are expected to be volatile through the third quarter of 2025 as softwood lumber duties have increased significantly. Persistently high interest rates, low consumer confidence and general economic uncertainty are leading to a slower pace in repairs and renovations, and housing activity. Expectations are for this trend to continue throughout the third quarter of 2025.
Box demand touches nearly every industry, from flat-screen TVs to packaged food, all of which see sales fluctuate based on how flush shoppers feel. …Sales of corrugated cardboard used to make boxes are slumping, signaling that retail demand across industries may be due for a correction. US box shipments fell to the lowest second-quarter reading since 2015, with companies like International Paper Co. and Smurfit Westrock Plc reporting drops in box shipments. The drop in packaging demand appears to be tied to President Donald Trump’s mixed messaging on tariffs, with companies not stocking up on packaging while they wait to find out how the levies will affect costs and demand. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]
US mills consumed more recycled paper in 2024 compared to 2023 while exports decrease. The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) recently announced its annual paper recycling rates, with 60%-64% of paper and 69%-74% of cardboard available for recovery being recycled in the United States in 2024. Paper continues to be one of the highest recycled materials in America, supported by successful recycling systems throughout the country. In 2024 alone, 46 million tons of paper was recycled in the U.S., which equates to 125,000 tons of recycled paper being turned into new, essential products like cardboard boxes, paper packaging, and toilet paper every day. …US mills used 1.29 million more tons of recycled paper to make new products in 2024 – that’s 32.7 million tons compared to 31.3 million tons in 2023.
In 2024, 73% of new single-family homes started were built on slab foundations, according to NAHB analysis of the 
The impact of President Trump’s tariffs on consumer prices is just getting started, according to research by Goldman Sachs Group, adding more uncertainty to a Treasury market that has been gripped by shifting bets on the pace of interest rate cuts. US companies have so far taken the bulk of the hit but the burden will increasingly be passed on to consumers as companies hike prices, economists including Jan Hatzius wrote. Consumers in the US have absorbed an estimated 22% of tariff costs through June, but their share will rise to 67% if the latest tariffs follow the pattern of levies in previous years, they wrote. The net result: faster inflation. The core personal consumer expenditure index, one of the Federal Reserve’s favorite measures of inflation, will hit 3.2% year-on-year in December. They said underlying inflation net of tariffs would be 2.4%. The rate was 2.8% in June.
The sternly worded statements and letters are filled with indignation and outrage: Republican US lawmakers say Canada has done too little to contain wildfires and smoke that have fouled the air in several states this summer. …They’ve demanded more forest thinning, prescribed burns and other measures to prevent fires from starting. They’ve warned the smoke is hurting relations between the countries and suggested the US could make it an issue in tariff talks. But what they haven’t done is acknowledge the role of climate change — a glaring and shortsighted omission, according to climate scientists. It also ignores the outsized US contribution to heat-trapping gases that cause more intense heat waves and droughts, which in turn set the stage for more destructive wildfires, scientists say. …“I don’t think there’s much they can do,” said Michigan climate scientist Jonathan Overpeck. He noted that hotter temperatures are melting permafrost in northern Canada.
The Trump administration wants to scrap a rule that protects tens of millions of acres of national forest from road-building and large-scale logging—but its zeal to log will face a reality check from government downsizing, possible litigation, and even a soft timber market. The US Forest Service is grappling with budget cuts and staffing shortages. At the same time, environmental groups are already gearing up for legal battles, arguing the so-called Roadless Rule safeguards endangered species, clean water, and biodiversity. “The administration can sprint and rescind the Roadless Rule, but then what?” said Murray Feldman, at Holland & Hart LLP in Boise. “It seems like a moonshot to try to reverse decades of national forest management plans by revoking one specific set of rules. But we’ll see.” …The Forest Service hasn’t taken any official steps to rescind the Roadless Rule since Rollins’ announcement in June. 
On the two-year anniversary of the deadly wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, the Arbor Day Foundation launched its effort to help replant lost tree canopy. The Foundation distributed more than 580 trees alongside its local planting partner The Outdoor Circle, in collaboration with Treecovery Hawaii and The Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows.“Recovery from a wildfire of this scale can take years, but the Arbor Day Foundation is committed to being here for the long haul. We’re proud to work alongside the passionate advocates at The Outdoor Circle to help regrow a flourishing community canopy,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We know trees won’t replace all of what’s been lost in Lahaina, but they can help grow new roots of resilience and nurture hope for the future.”
Despite attempts to save it, the longstanding Pixelle Specialty Solutions in Chillicothe closed its doors permanently on Sunday. The southern Ohio paper mill announced its planned closure in April after nearly 200 years of operating in Ross County. Local leaders and state representatives alike pushed to delay its shuttering, but ultimately the company ceased production this weekend. Not only did the paper mill employ more than 800 people, it fed a larger industry in the state. Executive director of the Ohio Forestry Association Jenna Reese said the mill’s closure will hurt Ohio loggers. “This is gonna have ripple effects throughout the state,” she said. “We’re unfortunately anticipating attrition.” With nearly 8 million acres of forest in Ohio, logging is a major industry. It contributes $1.1 billion to the state economy annually, according to Reese. Forest products, more broadly, make up more than a quarter of Ohio’s agricultural industry, which tops the state.
Every spring, Forest Service fire leaders meet to plan for the upcoming fire season. This year, some employees were shocked by the blunt remarks made during a meeting with forest supervisors and fire staff officers from across the Intermountain West. “We were told, ‘Help is not on the way,’” said one employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing their job. “I’ve never been told that before.” Agency leaders already knew it might be a bad wildfire season, made worse by having fewer hands available to help out. According to the employee High Country News spoke to, the Forest Service lost at least 1,800 fire-qualified, or “red-carded,” employees through layoffs, deferred resignation, and retirement offers. In total, 4,800 people left the agency. “We were told: Don’t commit to an attack thinking the cavalry is going to come,” the employee said. As fire activity continues to pick up across much of the West, that warning rings true. [a free subscription is required to read the original article, 
Western Apache fire management once reshaped Arizona’s forests — and tree rings prove it. A new study combining tree-ring evidence and historical data shows that for centuries, Western Apache communities systematically controlled fire activity across their homeland, reducing the role of climate in driving wildfires. Led by Southern Methodist University fire scientist Christopher Roos, the research analyzed 649 fire-scarred trees from 34 sites in central and eastern Arizona and compared them to several thousand samples from the broader Southwest. The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that Apache burns were more frequent, smaller, and timed differently than fires elsewhere in the region. Scientists found that in Apache territory, fires often occurred in late April and May — months when community members were engaged in subsistence activities in pine forests.
Cole Lindsay, the Oregon Department of Forestry aviation coordinator, said firefighters would typically have to hike into the dark canyon to check for new fires — a time-consuming and potentially dangerous task on a wildfire that had already roared to 23,890 acres in Wheeler County. But technology has advanced. Instead of sending people, Lindsay sent a drone equipped with an infrared camera to sweep across the canyon. “The cameras and sensors are so good that it would have seen something way before the human eye,” Lindsay said. …The Oregon Department of Forestry has 29 pilots. In 2024, ODF and its contractors flew 482 drone missions, 364 of which were for fire purposes. Out of 136 hours of flight time, 98.5 hours were on fire missions. So far in 2025, ODF, excluding its contractors, have flown 41 missions totaling 14 hours. Out of those 14 hours, 7.9 hours were for fire purposes. 
Near the bottom of a shady hillside in Jericho, a lone beech tree stretches high into the canopy, a relic of a bygone forest. Through luck or (hopefully) genetics, this mighty tree has avoided contracting beech bark disease—a fatal fungal pathogen that has proven deadly to mature beech trees. And it stands just outside a hotspot where a new pathogen called beech leaf disease (BLD) is spreading across Vermont forests. “Beech is here a lot as a sapling … but if you look out into the forest it’s not really common in the overstory,” said Jess Wikle Ph.D. ’24, lecturer in forestry and manager of the University of Vermont’s Research Forests. The beech trees that do succumb often send out a series of root sprouts before they die, turning a forest of big trees into a thicket of saplings. Beech leaf disease is different. It seems to be spreading faster and young beech trees tend to die first.
GORMAN, California — 
Fires, storms and the potential for near-record high temperatures across the western US are in the offing for the coming week. The Gifford Fire, about 125 miles northwest of Los Angeles, had burned 113,648 acres and was 21% contained through Saturday, according to Cal Fire. So far, 809 people have been evacuated and the Los Padres National Forest was closed because of the flames. There are 3,935 fire crews and support staff on the scene, and at least seven have been injured, according to a joint statement by Cal Fire, the US Forest Service and several local agencies. The Gifford blaze is the largest of 14 fires across the state. …Large wildfires in Colorado have also caused air quality to drop there, the U.S. National Weather Service said. …Meanwhile, smoke from forest fires in Canada has once again crossed into the US, causing air quality alerts to be posted in Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin.