A US trade court judge has extended the deadline for refunding $166 billion in tariffs, citing the administrative challenge facing US Customs. In related news: the Steelworks’ Jeff Bromley says Canada’s tariff response still still leaves some workers behind; Canada engages FPAC to create a Talent Pipeline Management Pilot for the forest sector; and municipal procurement can be part of the solution to help improve prospects for Canada’s forestry sector. Meanwhile: mass timber highlights and advancements from Vancouver, BC; Lakewood, Washington; and London, England.
In Forestry news: Mosaic Forest Management is testing a new approach to forest management in the Koksilah watershed; the City of Mission sees profits from timber sales; the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) launched a new climate and biodiversity strategy; Montana and US Forest Service operationalize their new forestry agreement; and a University of BC webinar—Uninvited guests: Invasive pests, diseases and the fate of our forests.
Finally, the Pittsburgh Penguins buy forest carbon credits to offset their footprint.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
Richard Eaton, senior judge on the US Court of International Trade, has extended the US administration’s deadline for refunding about US$166 billion in tariffs. Eaton had orginally ordered US Customs and Border Protection to begin the refunding process at the start of the month after the US Supreme Court struck down global tariffs set by president Trump. …The administration has been inundated with lawsuits from companies like Costco, FedEx, and Pandora Jewelry – all looking to get their money back since Eaton’s order meant that everyone who had paid tariffs was entitled to a refund. Barnes, Richardson & Colburn partner 
The Musqueam First Nation’s agreement with Ottawa to advance the nation’s rights and title over an area that spans the western half of Greater Vancouver will force Canada to grapple with overlapping Indigenous claims, the boundaries of civic governance, and the principles of co-operative federalism. The deal acknowledges the existence of constitutionally protected Aboriginal title and creates a framework to implement Musqueam’s rights and title in their traditional territory. It is accompanied by two other agreements that create a framework for shared decision-making over fisheries, marine stewardship and land use. Just where that title will be recognized, and what rights will be affirmed, are yet to be negotiated. The Musqueam’s traditional territory has overlapping and shared territories with its First Nation neighbours. …Ottawa’s deal with Musqueam First Nation raises alarm about property rights in Vancouver area. …Cowichan decision leads to another claim on private lands in BC. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]
Conifex Timber announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Conifex Mackenzie Forest Products has completed a $19 million secured term loan with the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) under the Softwood Lumber Guarantee Program. The loan has a maturity date of July 15, 2033. …The loan allows for interest-only payments until August 2028. A portion of the loan was used to repay a bridge advance from Conifex’s existing senior secured timber lender. The balance of the loan is available for working capital and general corporate purposes. Conifex also announced that it successfully restarted its sawmill in February. With the successful completion of the term loan, the Company is progressing toward normalized operations and currently anticipates sustaining two-shift operations in the second half of 2026, subject to fibre supply conditions.
Twenty years after spinning out Canfor Pulp Products as a separate entity, Canfor Corp. plans to bring it back into the fold to prevent the subsidiary from sinking. …Since December, its stock has plunged to about $0.50 per share. A March 6 shareholder vote on a plan of arrangement is just one of the vital signs indicating how bad 2025 was for the forestry sector in general, and BC forestry companies in particular. …But B.C. has been particularly hard hit with sawmill and pulp mill closures due to its fibre constraints and higher operating costs. The most recent high-profile mill closure in BC was the Domtar pulp mill in Crofton at the end of December. BC pulp mills rely on wood chips from sawmills to produce pulp. But so many sawmills have permanently shuttered in B.C. in the last few years that pulp mills now struggle to find enough fibre to run their mills.
OTTAWA — The federal government is being accused of creating an uneven playing field in Canada’s shipping industry, and critics claim the Prime Minister’s Office is unwilling to rectify it. Later this spring, Ottawa is expected to launch a federal subsidy program to help reduce the cost of shipping lumber and steel between provinces by 50%. But the subsidies — promised by Carney back in November — will only go to rail companies. “We support this initiative to give a boost to those Canadian industries. But what we were asking was for parity because many destinations and commodities, only maritime transport can handle that,” said Etienne Duchesne, business development project manager at Desgagnés, a maritime shipping company based in Quebec. …In the House of Commons last week, Bloc Québécois MP Claude DeBellefeuille said the government was creating “unfair competition between rail transportation and marine transportation,” putting jobs and supply chains at risk.
EAR FALLS, Ontario — No news is not good news when it comes to the future of the sawmill in Ear Falls. Mayor of the community Kevin Kahoot says he’s supposed to talk with Interfor, the owner of the mill, this week. “We have regular conversations in the last few months…every couple of weeks,” says Kahoot. “It’s been kind of status quo recently. They keep pushing markets and tariffs and those kinds of things. But I don’t see a lot of movement maybe until springtime.” The sawmill shut down indefinitely back in October throwing 150 people out of work. [END]
New Brunswick royalty revenues have plummeted by $45 million. It’s a figure that has forestry royalties on track to come in at an historic low in the current fiscal year. And it was a decision to significantly cut royalty rates made quietly by the Holt government last July that’s behind it. That’s as the government suggests it’s a move that’s successfully sheltered the industry from curtailments and closures that are being felt across the country. …The province moved to overhaul timber royalty rates in 2022 after acknowledging its former policy of charging forestry companies a flat rate for wood cut in public forests had failed to take advantage of a two-year explosion in international lumber prices. A new system created under the former Higgs government allowed for rates to rise and fall with the prices of various wood-based commodities. “As forest product markets improve in the future, royalty rates will index upwards,” Herron said.
WASHINGTON — Some two dozen states challenged U.S. President Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday, filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world. …Section 122, which has never been invoked, allows the president to impose tariffs of up to 15%. They are limited to five months unless extended by Congress. The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from Oregon, Arizona, California and New York. …The new suit argues that Trump can’t pivot to Section 122 because it was intended to be used only in specific, limited circumstances — not for sweeping import taxes. It also contends the tariffs will drive up costs for states, businesses and consumers.
Fiber and glass are among the packaging substrates hardest hit by February closure and layoff announcements. Here are the North American facilities that have announced downsizing efforts:
The escalating crisis in the Middle East could extend transport times for Finnish forest industry products to Asia by several weeks. At the same time, freight costs may rise, and container availability could become increasingly uncertain. Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to international reporting, several major shipping lines have also paused or reduced traffic through the Suez Canal, redirecting vessels around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope on routes to Asia. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical artery for global oil trade, and disruptions there primarily push up energy prices. For Finland’s forest industry, however, access through the Suez Canal is more directly decisive. Approximately 20 percent of the forest industry’s exports go to Asia, and the majority of those shipments pass through the Suez Canal, says Maarit Lindström, Director and Chief Economist at Metsäteollisuus ry. 
The US Department of Commerce preliminarily determined that hardwood and decorative plywood from China was sold in the US at less than fair value during the period Oct. 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, and it also made a preliminary affirmative determination of critical circumstances. Starting March 2, 2026, the publication date of the Commerce Department notice in the Federal Register, US Customs and Border Protection will begin suspending liquidation and collecting cash deposits on covered entries at the applicable rates. The notice sets an estimated weighted-average dumping margin of 187.27% for the China-wide entity and an adjusted cash-deposit rate of 185.96% for the listed producer-exporter combinations as well as for the China-wide entity. …Commerce said it plans to issue its final determination by May 10, 2026, within 75 days of the preliminary decision’s Feb. 24 signature date, after which the US International Trade Commission will decide whether the U.S. industry was materially injured by the imports.
NEOPIT, Wisconsin — A Neopit wood mill is closed Tuesday after it experienced an early morning fire. Menominee Tribal Enterprises says it lost its stacker building and associated equipment. Some lumber inventory was damaged in the fire as well. All employees are safe and no injuries were reported. Production operations are closed for the day as the organization assesses the damage and begins determining the next steps for recovery and continuity of operations. The Menominee Tribal Enterprises store and main office remain open and are operating during regular business hours.
VANCOUVER, BC – Canfor Pulp Products announced that at the special meeting of the holders of common shares in the capital of the Company held earlier, the Shareholders voted in favour of approving the special resolution authorizing the previously announced arrangement whereby Canfor Corporation will acquire all of the issued and outstanding Common Shares that it and its affiliates do not already own by way of a statutory plan of arrangement. …The Arrangement was approved by 96.02% of the Shareholders and 84.42% of the Shareholders excluding any votes of the Purchaser and its affiliates and any other Shareholders whose votes were required to be excluded. …Assuming that all remaining approvals are obtained and all other remaining conditions precedent to the completion of the Arrangement are satisfied or waived, the Company anticipates that the Arrangement will be completed on or about March 17, 2026.
Unfortunately for retailers in the home sector, 2026 will likely look an awful lot like 2025. …While the pandemic offered a temporary financial boost, broad economic uncertainty caused many consumers to pull back on discretionary spending, leading to a decline in the high-ticket purchases. …The category has consistently seen year-over-year sales declines, according to the US Department of Commerce. …As was the case over the past few years, the weak housing market — driven by a lack of inventory and elevated interest rates — poses one of the biggest threats to the home sector this year. “The housing market is just stuck in neutral,” Zak Stambor said. “By and large, just few people are moving, and the lack of housing turnover means there’s a smaller-than-normal market for home goods.” “It’s the uncertainty that’s really driving the hesitation on the consumer side — where they should go, when they should buy, what they should buy in this market.”
NEW YORK — Stocks fell and oil prices traded above $100 per barrel Monday as investors grappled with a potential energy crisis caused by the war with Iran. …Stocks have been jolted by nerves about the Middle East conflict disrupting the global flow of oil and reigniting inflation at a time when the US labor market appears to be on shaky ground. Oil prices Monday surged to their highest level since mid-2022 when markets were rocked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. US crude oil surged 11%, to $101 per barrel. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was also up 11%, to $103 per barrel. …The war with Iran has effectively halted the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway off Iran’s coast through which 20% of global oil consumption flows. …Wall Street’s fear gauge, the VIX, jumped 5% and hit its highest level since April, when markets were rocked by uncertainty about tariffs. 
WASHINGTON — American employers unexpectedly cut 92,000 jobs last month, a sign that the labor market remains under strain. The unemployment rate blipped up to 4.4%. The 
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Mortgage rates continued to decline in February, dipping below 6% in the last week of February. According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.05% last month, 5 basis points (bps) lower than January. Meanwhile, the average 15-year rate declined only a basis point to 5.43%. Compared to a year ago, the 30-year and 15-year rates are lower by 79 bps and 60 bps, respectively. The 10-year Treasury yield, a key benchmark for long-term borrowing, held relatively steady for most of February with an average 4.18% – a marginal decrease of 2 bps from the previous month. However, yields fell significantly in the final week of February. …Following the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, the 10-year Treasury yield has shown signs of reversing course. Investors are closely monitoring how protracted the conflict may become and its potential implications for global energy markets. If oil prices rise significantly, inflation pressures could intensify, potentially pushing Treasury yields higher.
If enacted, the new legislation would aim to streamline tariff exclusions for goods used in home construction, help stabilize material pricing, and support efforts to expand housing supply nationwide U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D‑NV) and Chris Coons (D‑DE) have introduced legislation aimed at easing construction costs and addressing America’s housing affordability crisis by excluding key homebuilding materials from tariffs imposed under the Trump administration. The Housing Tariff Exclusion Act would create a process to automatically exempt many building materials from current and future tariffs and allow importers to apply for exemptions on other essential construction inputs. The bill comes amid ongoing concerns that tariffs on imported materials such as lumber, steel, and other construction inputs have driven up costs for builders, contributing to higher home prices and exacerbating supply shortages. …The bill has garnered support from industry groups including the NAHB.
US equities tumbled on Tuesday, undoing a Monday equity comeback, as oil prices spiked again and traders began to worry the U.S.-Iran conflict could drag on longer than anticipated. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1,238 points, or 2.5%. If that holds, it would mark the blue-chip index’s first 1,000-point decline since April 10, 2025. The S&P 500 slipped 2.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite was down 2.3%. Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, topped $84 a barrel, up 8% Tuesday following a 6% spike Monday. WTI crude jumped 8% to above $77 a barrel after a 6% jump as well on Monday. Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander said the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most vital transit route for crude oil — is closed and that Iran would set ablaze ships attempting the route, Reuters reported, citing Iranian media.
Real estate professionals active in the Los Angeles market are bracing themselves for another wave of tariff-induced uncertainty following the US Supreme Court’s ruling. …Despite the Feb. 20 ruling, President Donald Trump has been adamant that he will find other avenues to impose his tariffs. Trump’s tariff policies have already caused upheaval for local businesses, and now the country’s heightened situation with tariffs will further disrupt L.A.’s real estate market, according to experts across development, manufacturing and finance. “This is a very shifting landscape for American companies,” said Ken Calligar, founder of RSG 3•D. …Garret Weyand, at Cedar Street Partners, said, “If costs are too high because of these tariffs, then projects don’t get built.” Banks will likely make borrowers increase the amount of equity so that the bank is covered in the event tariffs and inflation raise project costs.
Leveraging locally made forest products supports local jobs, efficient builds, and community resilience. …Forestry is more than just an industry; it is the lifeblood of some 300 Canadian communities. In the face of trade and market headwinds, some forest-dependent communities across the country are experiencing a worrying trend: the hollowing out of their economic base. Recent trade and market impacts on forestry have reduced production or closed mills, eliminated jobs, and reduced municipal revenues. With new challenges bring new opportunity – to take action on what we control. To streamline regulations to make our industries more competitive, diversify export markets, and do more here at home with Canadian grown and made products. Municipalities across the country can be part of the solution to help improve prospects for the forestry sector and its employees. Municipalities have the power to choose Canadian wood and wood fibre-based products in local projects.
City of Powell River Council has officially endorsed the Forestry is a Solution campaign led by a broad coalition of community leaders, workers and forest industry advocates. At the March 6 city council meeting, councillors reviewed correspondence from Kim Haakstad, CEO of BC Council of Forest Industries, which has the goal to demonstrate deep public support for BC’s forest sector and ensure it remains a strategic asset for the future. The request had three components. The first was to officially endorse the Forestry is a Solution campaign. Secondly, encourage community members to visit the forestryisasolution.com website to sign a petition and send a letter to their MLA, the minister of forests, the premier and the official opposition forest critic… and share information about the campaign. Mayor Ron Woznow said he had worked with 22 other mayors regarding the importance of forestry… especially in terms of the significant debt the province is facing.
PRINCE GEORGE – Recent shifts in the global wood pellet industry have started a debate in BC about forestry, climate impacts, and local jobs. Drax, a UK-based energy company, plans to stop using wood pellets from BC at its power plant in England. Environmental groups believe this move will not affect BC much, but the province’s Forest Minister disagrees. Ravi Parmar, BC’s forests minister, says critics are spreading fear and insists the industry uses byproducts from forestry, not old-growth trees. Michelle Connolly from Conservation North says that although Drax stopping shipments to the UK seems important, the situation in BC is actually much more complex. …Forest Minister Ravi Parmar says BC uses some of the world’s strongest sustainable harvesting practices. He adds that pellet plants use leftover byproducts from logging, not valuable logs from primary forests. 
How the hell did we end up in this situation? It’s a question that everyone involved in BC’s wood products business has asked themselves during the last few years. The question doesn’t have a simple answer. Instead, there are several contributing factors that have steered the forest industry into its current mess. But two problems are of critical importance now: securing reliable fibre access and dealing calmly with the international uncertainty triggered by US President Donald Trump’s lust for world trade dominance and military supremacy. But the BC forest industry has deep roots and some of the issues which began long ago have now come home to roost. All at the same time. They’ve created a confluence of concerns. That’s evident in the silent sawmills, the scattering of a skilled workforce—and communities in crisis throughout the BC interior.
OREGON — A historic state-tribal collaboration in Oregon has stalled after a charitable foundation pulled out of a potential land deal. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was preparing to purchase 11,438 acres of private timberland using a federal grant. The area is about 10 miles southwest of La Grande in the Blue Mountains. The agency planned to manage the land alongside the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation — the first such collaboration in Oregon. But the landowner, the Harry A. Merlo Foundation, has withdrawn from the deal “for undisclosed reasons,” according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The state wildlife department and tribes had secured $22 million in federal funding to acquire and co-manage the land. …The plan was to restore this swath of forests and meadows for elk and salmon habitat.
MONTANA — Three national forests east of Missoula are proposing a plan to require continuous logging across almost a million acres of southwest Montana for at least the next decade. On Monday, the U.S. Forest Service released a draft plan for a Tri-Forest Sustained-Yield Unit, which would direct logging to occur on more than 925,000 acres across the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Helena-Lewis and Clark and Custer Gallatin national forests. The plan’s stated purpose is to “to support local economies and the timber industry.” Logging is predicted to ramp up to produce 35 million board-feet of lumber annually by the end of 10 years, according to the plan. … The plan says logging won’t occur in wilderness areas, recommended wilderness or wilderness study areas. …But some regional public land advocates are questioning the plan at a time when the Trump administration has pushed a number of other initiatives that favor the timber industry and reduce public comment.
OLMYPIA, Washington – Washington state is poised to significantly expand its efforts to combat climate change with a proposed agreement to link its carbon market with those of California and Quebec. The move, announced Tuesday by the Washington Department of Ecology, aims to stabilize and reduce the costs associated with decarbonizing the state’s economy. The draft linkage agreement is now open for public comment until May 1, 2026, with the shared market potentially launching as early as 2027. This collaboration represents a major step forward in regional climate action, building upon Washington’s 2021 Climate Commitment Act. …The linkage would allow businesses in all three jurisdictions to participate in joint auctions and trade carbon allowances freely. This expanded market is expected to stabilize Washington’s relatively new and more expensive carbon market, as California and Quebec have been operating linked markets since 2014. While aligning with California and Quebec, Washington maintains distinct climate goals. 
A new study with EFI contribution, 
When it comes to WorkSafeBC, one of the most misunderstood issues we hear about from business groups is the surplus. Specifically, many small-business associations have been calling on WorkSafeBC to rebate the surplus back to employers since our funding level is above target. For background, the funding level is simply a ratio of assets over liabilities on a funding basis. …What is also not well understood is that WorkSafeBC has been returning significant amounts of surplus funds to employers annually to keep rates both stable and below the actual costs of the system. …The reality is that if WorkSafeBC refunded the entire surplus to employers we would no longer be able to price premiums below system costs, meaning rates would have to be raised in subsequent years. …Rate stability for employers is a priority for WorkSafeBC. Some sectors benefiting from rate reductions in 2026 include sawmills (down 40%), framing and residential forming (down 40%).
One of the most persistent myths in BC business circles is that WorkSafeBC is sitting on a massive surplus—a piggy bank that should be cracked open and handed back to employers. Manitoba did it, Ontario did it. …So why not BC? Because the surplus is depleted. It didn’t disappear overnight. It was frittered away, year by year, policy by policy, under an NDP government. …And now, BC’s small business owners are staring down the consequences. …According to WorkSafeBC’s own financial statements, in 2019 the system was funded at 153%—a full 23 points above the 130% floor set by policy and insurance best practices. That cushion, billions built up over decades, was a rainy day fund. It was never meant to finance an ever-expanding bureaucratic empire. …In 2019, WorkSafeBC’s rate of $1.55 per $100 of assessable payroll was among the lowest in Canada—only three provinces were cheaper. By 2024, that same $1.55 is higher than every province except two.