BC Forests Minister Ravi Parmar brought passion and urgency to the stage at the COFI Conference in Prince George, delivering a high-energy speech before joining a panel discussion on how leadership across governments, communities, and industry can shape the future of the province’s forest sector. …The centrepiece of Parmar’s remarks was his overhaul of BC Timber Sales (BCTS). Parmar said BCTS must evolve from a market-pricing tool into an active driver of forest stewardship. “We should harness this organization to deliver on the public’s expectations and support the future we want to see in forestry.” He announced that BCTS will double its volume allocation for value-added and untenured manufacturers, allowing small companies to submit joint bids, and that it will expand its leadership role in forest stewardship. The new direction includes commercial thinning, wildfire risk reduction, salvage of damaged timber, and cultural and prescribed burning in partnership with First Nations.
Joining Parmar on the panel were Greg Stewart of Sinclair Group and COFI, Chief Councillor John Jack of the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, Mercer International CEO Juan Carlos Bueno, and Vancouver City Councillor Lisa Dominato. Together, they tackled questions about long-term sustainability, reconciliation, urban-rural partnerships, and innovation. …In a final round of takeaways, panelists called for trust, collaboration, and urgency. Parmar closed by saying that 2025 must be the year the sector comes together to develop a shared roadmap. “No pressure,” he said. “It’s not just my work—it’s our work. That’s the opportunity we have before us.”
- Prince George Citizen – More federal support needed for BC forestry, Parmar says
Well, 2025 will prove to be an interesting year ahead. …Provincially there are some glimmers of hope for some directional changes to the current trajectory of BC’s forest sector through the appointment of an energized and determined Minister of Forests. At the recent TLA convention, there also seemed to be acknowledgment that the need for change was recognized with the Premier and Minister. …The government’s forestry mandate appears to be granted for firm actions, even more so with our obvious need for more self-reliance as a country. But muddying the background is the reality that anything that needs to be accomplished must be done within the spectre of massive provincial deficits and a hiring freeze. Where to start?
The US is set to more than double the duty it charges on softwood lumber imports from Canada, with the planned new rate set at 34.45%, up from the previous 14.54%. …New softwood lumber duties were long-feared amid the growing trade war between Canada and the US, and would be the latest blow to BC’s beleaguered forestry industry, which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years. BC Premier David Eby condemned the planned duty hike as an “attack on forest workers and British Columbians” in a statement on Saturday. While Canada may have been spared additional tariffs from the US on Wednesday, anxiety around levies on BC’s softwood lumber industry remains high. …Under the U.S. Tariff Act, the Department of Commerce determines whether goods are being sold at less than fair value or if they’re benefiting from subsidies provided by foreign governments.
MONTREAL — The notion that Canadian companies can simply switch supply chains in response to American tariffs is a fantasy, experts say. Businesses north of the border are looking elsewhere to source their material and sell their products. But companies caught up in tightly braided supply channels after decades of trade pacts and sector specialization may quickly bump into barriers around everything from transport and labour costs to resource availability, manufacturing capacity and market saturation. …Cancelling contracts with Canadian suppliers would trigger breakage fees of up to $500 million per U.S. factory, the group said. Many parts cross the border multiple times before final assembly. …Auto, lumber and steel producers would face some of the toughest challenges in the hunt for new markets, Paschen said. …Forestry players face an entirely different dilemma. Lumber exports, while ample, have a low value per volume compared to some other commodities.
Canadian lumber has been left out of Trump’s tariff blitz, despite the president’s repeated threats to add to import taxes to a big chunk of US wood supply. Prices for two-by-fours are tumbling. Lumber futures contracts shed 8.7% to end at $606 per thousand board feet, the lowest price since mid February. They are on track for their worst day since the pandemic-era lumber bubble burst three years ago. Prices had risen this year in anticipation of another layer of import taxes. …That climb is unwinding. But the decline can also be chalked up to expectations that tariffs will push up residential construction prices and strain affordability. The tariffs Trump announced Wednesday will add about $6,400 to the cost of building an average house, UBS analyst John Lovallo estimates. That assumes that about 7% of the materials are imported and subject to an average tariff of 22%. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]
OTTAWA — Canada’s exemption from Donald Trump’s global tariffs was “like dodging a bullet into the path of a tank”, say business leaders as other levies are poised to hit key industries that drive the country’s economy. …Canada was noticeably absent, alongside trade ally Mexico. Prime minister Mark Carney said 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, as well as on automobiles, will come into effect within hours. Canada would “fight these measures with countermeasures” he said. Already, Canada had put a 25% tax on C$30bn worth of US goods in response to Trump’s tariffs. …Carney warned that while Trump had preserved key elements of the bilateral relationship, the global tariffs “fundamentally change the international trading system”. …On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of senators passed a resolution to end the national fentanyl emergency the president invoked to justify the 25% tax on Canadian imports. …House speaker Mike Johnson is unlikely to bring the measure to a vote.
Sweeping new tariffs announced by Donald Trump provoked dismay, threats of countermeasures and urgent calls for talks to find ways to rescind the stiff new import taxes imposed on goods from countries around the globe. …Trump maintains they will draw factories and jobs back to the United States. …European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a “major blow to the world economy.” …British Prime Minister Kier Starmer said he hopes to get the tariffs lifted with a trade deal. …Financial markets were jolted. …China’s Commerce Ministry said Beijing would “resolutely take countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests,” without saying exactly what it might do. …Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she would wait to see how Trump’s announcement will affect Mexico, which like Canada was spared for goods already qualified under their free trade agreement with the United States, though previously announced 25% tariffs on auto imports took effect Thursday.
The United States is scheduled to unveil reciprocal tariffs on a wide array of trading partners, including Canada. Dubbed “Liberation Day” by Donald Trump, the measures are meant to even things out with those who, in Trump’s eyes, have unfairly taken advantage of the US with tariffs and other non-tariff barriers. …Aside from steel, aluminum and autos, which are already facing separate tariffs, here are the issues the U.S. has singled out as problematic in their trade with Canada that could factor in to the Liberation Day announcement, and what economists and trade officials have to say about them. What Trump says: He has lumped his anger about dairy and lumber tariffs together, threatening to act immediately on unfair treatment by Canada. He also said the U.S. does not need any Canadian lumber. Reality Check: There is far from enough lumber produced in the U.S. to meet building demand.
In April 2023, close to 600 USW activists, staff and retirees from across the country gathered in Toronto for the 55th USW National Policy Conference, this central body that guides our union’s direction in Canada. 
NEW ZEALAND — The temporary exemption of tariffs on timber and lumber imported into the US provides some relief to New Zealand exporters. Though this exemption could be short lived based on the outcome of the Section 232 investigation aimed at determining the effects imports of timber, lumber and their derivative products have on the US supply chain. Exports of radiata pine products from New Zealand to the US were estimated at $358 million, making the US our third largest export market behind China and Australia. …The exemption comes about through internal US lobbying, by the likes of the American Building Materials Alliance and National Association of Home Builders. …The administration has recognised that raising costs on timber and lumber would hurt housing affordability and weaken an important supply chain. …We thank our kindred Associations in the US for making this happen. We now wait for completion of the s. 232 investigation.
US trade wars could have major implications for an already tenuous housing market….A price hike on building materials will likely make building affordable housing feasible, an approach that many real estate experts believe is crucial to resolving the housing market gridlock. The housing sector comprises over 15% of the US GDP and will be heavily impacted by tariffs on building materials such as lumber and steel. And 70% of imported lumber comes from Canada. The NAHB noted that the tariffs are “not only expected to raise the cost of building materials, which are up 34% since December 2020, far higher than the rate of inflation, but also wreak havoc on the building material supply chain. In turn, this will put even more upward price pressure on building materials.” …Uncertainty stemming from the newly unveiled tariffs has eroded consumer and investor confidence, which has, in turn, diminished homebuyer optimism.
The stock market took another pounding Friday after China retaliated with new tariffs on U.S. goods, raising fears a trade war will tip the globe into a recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 1,130 points, or 2.8%. This follows a 1,679.39 point decline on Thursday. The S&P 500 slid 3.2% after the benchmark shed 4.84% on Thursday. The Nasdaq Composite shed 3.5% as many tech companies have exposure to China. …“The Trump administration may be playing a game of chicken with trading partners, but market participants aren’t willing to wait around for the results,” said Michael Arone, at State Street Global Advisors. “Investors are selling first and asking questions later.” Bank stocks tumbled in the premarket as worries of a U.S. economic slowdown grew. …The 10-year Treasury yield fell back below 4% Friday as investors flooded into bonds for safety. JPMorgan late Thursday raised the odds of a recession this year to 60% from 40%.
Manufactured homes play a measurable role in the U.S. housing market by providing an affordable supply option for millions of households. According to the American Housing Survey, there are 7.2 million occupied manufactured homes in the U.S., representing 5.4% of total occupied housing and a source of affordable housing, in particular, for rural and lower income households. Often thought of as synonymous to “mobile homes” or “trailers”, manufactured homes are a specific type of factory-built housing that adheres to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards code. …The East South Central division (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee) have the highest concentration of manufactured homes, representing 9.3% of total occupied housing. The Mountain region follows with 8.5%, while the South Atlantic region holds 7.7%.
The Oregon Building Codes Division (BCD) has published its first permit-ready plan under the state’s updated Permit-Ready Plans Program. The building plans, available free to the public, are for a code-compliant residential deck. The Permit-Ready Plans Program creates an efficient pathway for the state to develop and make publicly accessible building plans that meet the requirements of the state building code. Plans are published to the BCD website. …The first plan published is a single-level, wood-framed, exterior deck attached to a building regulated by the Oregon Residential Specialty Code. BCD anticipates publishing more permit-ready plans for other residential accessory structures such as pole buildings, detached garages, patio covers, and carports later this year. The division will start developing plans for smaller detached dwelling units by the end of 2025.
VANCOUVER, BC – Canfor Corporation and Canfor Pulp Products released their joint 2024 Sustainability Report today. The report describes the companies’ approach to managing environmental, social and governance activities, and reports on established targets. Canfor CEO Susan Yurkovich said, “Sustainability is at the forefront of our business and we continually strive to be better at all that we do.” 2024 performance highlights include: Maintaining certifications for sustainable forest management and fibre procurement activities, with 100% of Canfor-managed forests certified to SFI® or FSC® Forest Management Standards, 100% of sourced fibre in North American operations managed to the SFI Fibre Sourcing Standard and 100% of Swedish forestry operations certified to the PEFC Forest Management Standard. …Advancements in safety, health and wellness initiatives. …Investing in communities, with more than $2 million donated. …Continuing to pursue our goal to be net zero by 2050.
KINGSPORT, Tennessee – The Domtar Packaging Mill in Kingsport has operated for decades, and residents have noticed one significant aspect of the mill that some believe has caused community strife: the smell. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is currently investigating three complaints about the odor from Domtar between March 31 and April 1. The TDEC said: “Although TDEC does not regulate odors, we do want to ensure that the facility is complying with its permit conditions.” …At the last Kingsport Economic Development Board meeting on April 1, Domtar updated the board on the wastewater treatment system plan. …The short-term plan involves reducing mill material losses and flow and optimizing the current wastewater treatment system. Domtar says this will last around a year. The long-term plan involves building a new anaerobic digester system. Domtar estimates that this project could take up to 18 months.