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 
NANAIMO, BC — Snuneymuxw First Nation is calling for a temporary closure and environmental investigation of a hazardous waste services company following a January oil spill on Duke Point near Nanaimo, BC. City of Nanaimo staff were informed of oily residue near a storm drain close to the Duke Point Ferry Terminal on Jan. 5. Staff said the spill originated from a business in the nearby industrial park, and a BC Ministry of Environment spokesperson said there was an estimated 350 to 1,600 litres of oil sheen on the water between Duke Point and Mudge Island. …The First Nation, along with a Feb. 19 statement from the Ministry of Environment, said the industrial park business Environmental 360 Solutions was responsible for the spill. …Snuneymuxw Chief Michael Wyse Feb. 6 urged governments to take action to address polluting activities in their territory.b…Western Forest Products said the company has implemented multiple measures to manage “wood and wood particle water discharge.”
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.
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.
WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a bill Thursday aimed at boosting the supply of housing and bringing down prices, marking a rare bipartisan breakthrough on a major issue. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, written by Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., won 89 votes. Ten senators voted against it. Scott is the chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Warren is the ranking member. The 
US President Trump’s administration on Wednesday launched a trade investigation into excess industrial capacity in 16 major trading partners in a move to rebuild tariff pressure after the U.S. Supreme Court tore down the centerpiece of Trump’s trade policy last month. Canada is not named as one of the targets of the new probe. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Section 301 unfair trade practices investigation could lead to new tariffs imposed against China, the European Union, India, Japan, Mexico and South Korea by this summer. Other trading partners subject to the excess capacity probe include Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Switzerland and Norway. Trump and his team have made clear they’re seeking to replace the hundreds of billions of dollars in lost revenues after the Supreme Court’s February ruling. In this case, the administration is starting investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act.
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 outsized impact that oil prices have on the global economy means higher fuel and energy prices are all but guaranteed for many countries, not just those in the conflict region. …In the forest products sector, softwood lumber trade is one of the most directly exposed segments. Europe accounts for about one-third of the global softwood supply. Sweden and Finland are among Europe’s top exporters, along with Germany and Austria. …Lumber shipments out of Europe rely heavily on shipping routes through the Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, and the Gulf. Shipping costs are expected to escalate as fuel prices and risk premiums rise. Spikes in freight and insurance, along with rising energy costs in production and transport, could quickly start to make Nordic lumber less competitive while tightening margins. …Prolonged disruption in that region could force Nordic lumber producers to redirect volumes to Europe, North Africa, and Asia, causing price pressures in those markets.
OTTAWA–Housing starts in Canada are set to decline over the next three years due to higher construction costs, weaker demand and elevated levels of unsold inventory, the country’s housing agency said Wednesday. The outlook from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. represents another setback for the country’s residential real-estate sector, where prices and sales have declined following a prolonged period of strength fueled by immigration. It’s also a sign that, unlike in the recent past, housing-market activity won’t help propel the Canadian economy into a higher gear. Canada’s economy is struggling with slow growth, with manufacturers under duress from hefty U.S. tariffs. Furthermore, firms are scaling back spending and hiring plans as the future of a North American trade treaty is in doubt. CMHC said in a report that it expects housing starts to drop during the 2026-to-2028 period. [
Canada’s housing agency says the country made “meaningful” supply gains last year thanks to record rental construction and more “missing middle” type housing, however short-term imbalances remain for several markets. Housing construction rose 6% year-over-year in 2025 to 259,000 units, with activity exceeding the 10-year average across most major markets, according to CMHC’s spring housing supply report. …Rentals drove overall new housing supply in Canada last year, with the number of rental units under construction nearly doubling the 10-year average. …The trend led to increased vacancy rates and slower rent price rises compared with recent years. The report also highlighted the growth of “missing middle” housing — a term referring to gentle-to-medium density types such as accessory suites, multiplexes, row homes, stacked townhouses and low-rise apartments, which have often been under-represented in new supply. …Despite some encouraging trends, particularly for the rental market, housing construction for the home ownership market weakened overall.
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.
WASHINGTON — The US economy, hobbled by last fall’s 43-day government shutdown, advanced at an unexpectedly sluggish 0.7% annual rate from October through December, the Commerce Department reported Friday in a big downgrade of its initial estimate. Growth in gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — was down sharply from 4.4% in last year’s third quarter and 3.8% in the second. And the fourth-quarter number was half the government’s first estimate of 1.4%; economists had expected the revision to go the other way — and show stronger growth. Federal government spending and investment, clobbered by the shutdown, plunged at a 16.7% rate, hacking 1.16 percentage points off fourth-quarter growth. For all of 2025, GDP grew 2.1%, solid but down from an initial estimate of 2.2% and from 2.8% in 2024 and 2.9% 2023.
US applications for unemployment benefits inched down modestly last week as layoffs remain at historically healthy levels despite a weakening job market. The number of Americans filing for jobless aid for the week ending March 7 fell by 1,000 to 213,000 the previous week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 215,000 new benefit applications. Filings for unemployment benefits are viewed as a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market. While weekly layoffs have remained in a historically low range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 for the past few years, a number of high-profile companies have announced job cuts recently, including Morgan Stanley,Block, UPSand Amazon in recent weeks. …For now, the U.S. job market appears stuck in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state that has kept the unemployment rate historically low, but has left those out of work struggling to find a new job.
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.
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.
HELSINKI, Finland — A groundbreaking investigation by researchers at the University of Helsinki is shedding new light on the relationship between wood surface treatments and bacterial survival, revealing profound implications for both public health and material science. The study meticulously analyzed how untreated and chemically treated wood surfaces influence the adhesion, survival, and transmission of bacterial species commonly found in indoor environments. This research challenges conventional perspectives on surface hygiene and opens avenues for reconsidering material use in everyday settings ranging from homes to healthcare environments. The research primarily focused on two bacterial species: Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. …By studying these organisms, the research team was able to capture a spectrum of bacterial behaviors and survival strategies on different wood substrates. …Although the study’s scope was limited, its findings offer valuable preliminary insights into the wider implications of material selection in construction and interior design.
North Cowichan has a looming water crisis. A permanent closure of the Crofton Pulp Mill and the shutdown of the pulp mill supply system would result in the diversion of most of North Cowichan’s future development water to supply water to Crofton. As a former process engineering and environmental supervisor at the mill…. my solution would solve the looming Cowichan Valley water crisis regardless of the mill situation. First, the province should revoke the mill water licence and assign it to the CVRD. Second, the CVRD would purchase the pulp mill water supply system from Domtar with a contractual obligation with Domtar that the pulp mill would continue to be provided with water at the CVRD‘s cost of operation. Third, The CVRD/North Cowichan/Duncan/Ladysmith… would install a new water supply distribution system from Ladysmith to Cobble Hill using the old E&N railway grade and the Crofton pulp mill spur line.
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. 
The invasive spotted lanternfly, which can cause damage to many plants, has been detected in a few Tennessee counties. …The adult female spotted lanternfly lays egg masses in September through November on host plants and other smooth surfaces, such as railroad ties, rocks, lumber, downed limbs and logs. Egg masses survive cold winter temperatures, and the first instar nymphs begin emerging in the spring. The nymphs mature through the spring and early summer before becoming adults in the beginning of June. The first, second and third instars feed on a variety of host plants. The fourth instars and adults prefer tree of heaven, grapes, black walnut, silver maple, red maple and willow. …“The best way to control spotted lanternfly outbreaks is to prevent them,” said Midhula Gireesh, University of Tennessee Extension specialist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. For more, refer to the UT Extension publication 
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.