Blog Archives

Business & Politics

What’s happening in the Canada-US trade dispute and what comes next

By Marc Lee and Struat Trew
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
August 25, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

International political discourse in 2025 has been haunted by the spectre of Donald Trump and his brute force reshaping of global trade relationships to the (perceived) advantage of the US. Canadians have been consumed by the question of when a deal might be struck to end Trump’s egregious tariffs, real and threatened, and what that deal might cost us. …While countries that have struck deals with Trump have largely focused on transactional arrangements that accept a lower tariff, Canada has gone the other direction by seeking to roll security into a broader deal that may prove expensive but without guarantees of market access. …Prime Minister Carney does not appear to be rushing the US negotiations, but the Canadian government response so far leaves much to be desired. …The CUSMA also is up for renegotiation in 2026. …Prime Minister Carney has kept his strategy cloaked from the public.

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Canada removes all tariffs on US goods covered under the Canada-US-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)

By Marc Carney
Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
August 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Marc Carney

Negotiations have been taking place as the US has been fundamentally transforming all its trading relationships. …In a positive development, earlier this month, the US reaffirmed a core commitment to our free trade agreement, Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), by reinforcing that those Canadian exports to the US that are compliant with CUSMA will not be subject to US IEEPA tariffs. As a result, the actual US average tariff rate on Canadian goods is 5.6% and remains the lowest among all its trading partners, and more than 85% of Canada-US trade is now tariff-free. …In this context and consistent with Canada’s commitment to CUSMA, I am announcing that the Canadian government will now match the US by removing all of Canada’s tariffs on US goods specifically covered under CUSMA. This decision will take effect on September 1, 2025. …The Canadian government will begin our preparations for the CUSMA review process due next year.

Related coverage by Katie DeRosa in CBC News: BC jobs minister surprised at Ottawa’s move to drop retaliatory tariffs against US

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Trump says imports of wood products may pose national security threat — raising fears in BC

By Akshay Kulkarni
CBC News
August 25, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

BC’s forestry sector is awaiting the results of a US Commerce Department investigation into the imports of wood products, which could impose further tariffs on the beleaguered industry. It comes months after US President Trump launched a Section 232 investigation into whether importing timber, lumber and derivative products could pose a national security threat to the US. …”Lumber is just one of many sectors that could get impacted … maybe lumber gets a lower tariff, but plywood and OSB and pulp get a higher tariff. We don’t know,” said Russ Taylor. …Taylor says that, while the Section 232 tariffs could cause further mill curtailments in BC, the U.S. forestry industry doesn’t yet have the capacity to fill the void. …”And the US mills will be very happy to raise their price … at a discount to the Canadian price because that’s just free money in the short term for them,” he added. 

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North Island First Nations planning to engage in free trade with Indigenous communities in the US

By Kori Sidaway
Chek News
August 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Terry Teegee

As a possible workaround to the escalating tariffs and duties from the United States, a group of BC First Nations is exploring a bold plan to engage in free trade with Indigenous communities in the United States. …“We need to find something that’s going to get us through this,” said Dallas Smith, Nanwakolas Council president. …The council is talking seriously with Indigenous Nations to the south about cross-border nation-to-nation free trade, to circumvent escalating American duties on softwood lumber. …No American Nations wanted to speak with CHEK News for fear of retaliation prior to plans being set in motion. …BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee said, “Nations have tried, but those authorities, such as the United States and Canada, came in and imposed their authority,” said Teegee. …The group of six nations is planning to put legislation on both sides of the border to the test, soon.

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Labour dispute ongoing at closed Galloway sawmill

By Trevor Crawley
The Kimberly Daily Bulletin
August 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

JAFFRAY, BC — The BC Labour Relations Board has dismissed an application from unionized employees with Galloway Lumber Company seeking a court order against the employer in a labour dispute over a negotiated severance agreement due to the permanent closure of the Galloway sawmill, near Jaffray. While the labour board dismissed the application on Aug. 14, vice-chair Carmen Hamilton deferred the matter to the parties’ negotiated dispute resolution process. Meanwhile, both sides are have agreed to bring the matter before an arbitrator who is not available until January 2026. “At its heart, this matter is a contract interpretation dispute,” wrote Hamilton. The United Steelworkers Local L-405 is seeking roughly $1.2 million in severance that was negotiated as part of an adjustment plan that was negotiated following the closure of the mill.

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Labour rights are at the heart of the USW-LKSM strike on Vancouver Island

By Brian Butler, president of United Steelworkers Local 1-1937
The Times Colonist
August 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Brian Butler

Dallas Smith’s Aug. 16 commentary, “Indigenous rights are key to resolving strike,” rightly emphasizes the need for stability in the forest industry. …However, one company that stands apart in rejecting that stability is La-kwa sa muqw Forestry LP (LKSM). This company is refusing to follow the coast pattern collective agreement and the level playing field it provides. …While I agree with Smith that many bargaining proposals are agreed upon, it is incorrect for him to say wages and monetary terms are settled. …Smith’s commentary suggests our constitutional right to collectively bargain is “inconsistent with Indigenous self-determination and constitutionally protected rights.” We strongly disagree. It also claims that introducing a non-union contractor aligns with the 2019 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). Again, we reject the notion that constitutionally protected, and provincially regulated labour rights can be overridden simply because an employer — regardless of Indigenous ownership — wants to contract out union jobs.

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US trade court dismisses Canadian lumber company J.D. Irving challenge

MLex.com
August 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East, United States

The US Court of International Trade threw out a legal challenge from Canadian softwood lumber producers J.D. Irving Ltd. granting a motion-to-dismiss from the Commerce Department. Timothy Reif said in the opinion that J.D. Irving, which had challenged Commerce’s 2022 antidumping administrate review on grounds that the agency erred by assigning a higher cash deposit rate in the order, has its proper venue under a binational panel though the USMCA now reviewing the Commerce order. While the Canadian firm said it was challenging not the Commerce fine order but the instruction for the cash deposit rate. Reif said the challenge entered on the commerce final result and thus should rest before the USMCA panel. [to access the full story, a MLex.com subscription is required]

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US paper industry opposes tariffs on Brazilian eucalyptus pulp essential to tissue production

The AF&PA in the Lesprom Network
August 25, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The AF&PA is calling on the Office of the US Trade Representative to exempt Brazilian bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp from potential Section 301 tariffs, arguing that the material is indispensable to the US tissue industry and cannot be sourced domestically at commercial scale. The group submitted its formal comments as part of USTR’s ongoing investigation into Brazil’s trade practices. …On September 3, USTR will hold a public hearing to gather further testimony. AF&PA’s comments focus on the US paper manufacturing sector’s reliance on bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp (BEK), which is sourced almost exclusively from Brazil. …The association argues that imposing tariffs on Brazilian pulp would harm US manufacturers by raising input costs and undermining the competitiveness of US-made tissue products both at home and abroad. …AF&PA also defended the sustainability of Brazilian eucalyptus pulp, stating that member companies source only from responsibly managed plantations certified by SFI and FSC.

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SFPA Statement on the EUDR and Recent US–EU Trade Developments

The Southern Forest Products Association
August 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

We welcome the recent announcement from the White House regarding the US–EU Framework Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade. Notably, the European Union has committed to addressing U.S. concerns about the EUDR, acknowledging that US commodity production poses negligible risk to global deforestation. This recognition is a positive step toward ensuring Southern Pine lumber producers and exporters are not unfairly burdened by regulations that fail to account for the sustainability and stewardship practices already in place within the American forestry sector. …The EUDR’s stringent traceability requirements (such as geolocation data for every plot of land from which timber is sourced) present serious compliance obstacles for U.S. producers. …Recognizing the broad impact of the EUDR across multiple agricultural sectors, the forest products industry is strategically voicing its objections through official trade and commerce channels.

Related from The White House: Joint Statement on a United States-European Union Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade

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Higher tariffs on furniture to be announced within next 50 days, Trump says

By Elisabeth Buchwald
CNN Business
August 23, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

President Donald Trump on Friday announced he’s directing his administration to investigate imports of furniture into the United States that will lead to higher tariffs by October. “Within the next 50 days, that Investigation will be completed, and Furniture coming from other Countries into the United States will be Tariffed at a Rate yet to be determined,” Trump wrote. “This will bring the Furniture Business back to North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, and States all across the Union,” Trump said. …Already, furniture prices have been increasing over the past few months as Trump hiked tariffs on countries including China and Vietnam, the top two sources of imported furniture. Both countries imported $12 billion worth of furniture and fixtures last year, according to US Commerce Department data. …Furniture stocks, such as Wayfair, William-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware, all tanked in after-hours trading Friday.

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A Forest Products Manufacturer Rooted in Sustainability: Domtar’s Story Comes to Screen

Domtar Corporation
August 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

FORT MILL, South Carolina — Domtar is featured in a new short documentary released as part of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Leaders project. This series is an initiative that profiles companies making measurable progress toward the 17 SDGs from the United Nations to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect the planet. The documentary, titled “A Forest Products Manufacturer Rooted in Sustainability: Domtar’s 2030 Vision,” offers a behind-the-scenes look at its operations and highlights Domtar’s longstanding commitment to responsible forest management, sustainable innovation and the real-world impact of its products in everyday life. …Brian Kozlowski, Senior Director, Environment and Sustainability said, “It’s an honor to be recognized by the SDG Leaders project. We’re proud to share how sustainability is not only a priority at Domtar but also a part of who we are.”

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Trade commission reaches affirmative determination in review of cabinets and vanities from China

By Larry Adams
The Woodworking Network
August 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The US International Trade Commission determined on August 21 that revoking the existing antidumping duty order and countervailing duty order on wooden cabinets and vanities from China would likely lead to “continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.” The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) said that ruling “means that the antidumping and countervailing duty orders will remain in place for at least another five years and continue to provide relief to the US domestic industry from dumped and subsidized merchandise from China.” As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the existing orders on imports of these products will remain in place. …The action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. The Commission’s public report on Wooden Cabinets and Vanities from China will be available by October 3, 2025.

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White House unveils details for European Union trade deal

By Ashleigh Fields
The Hill
August 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

The White House unveiled details for its trade deal with the European Union (EU) on Thursday. The Trump administration said its EU counterparts have agreed to eliminate all tariffs on industrial goods imported from the U.S. and to widen preferential market access to US seafood and agricultural products. In exchange, most EU exports — notably pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber — will be taxed at 15 percent. The group of 27 member nations also agreed to ensure its companies invest $600 billion in the U.S. and to purchase at least $750 billion worth of U.S. energy over the next three years, according to the White House.

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Canfor sawmill closes in Darlington, South Carolina

By Alexis Cooper
WPDE.com
August 25, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

DARLINGTON COUNTY, South Carolina — Monday marked the last day of operation at the Canfor sawmill in Darlington. The mill announced its closure back in June, and Monday marked the last day of work for more than 120 Darlington employees. Over a decade ago, Canfor announced its $8 million investment in the Darlington facility for upgrades and increased production, expanding its workforce. Back in June, Canfor announced it no longer made sense to continue operations in Darlington because of weak market conditions and sustained financial losses. …Since the announcement of Canfor closure, Darlington county leaders have tried helping employees find their next opportunity. …Canfor also announced the Estill mill in Hampton county is also scheduled to close this month.

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International Paper to close Savannah, Riceboro Georgia plants

By Robin Kemp and Craig Nelson
The Current Georgia
August 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

GEORGIA — International Paper announced that it will permanently close its Savannah and Riceboro plants by the end of September and cut some 1,100 hourly and salaried jobs. The closures of the company’s containerboard and packaging facilities in Savannah and its containerboard mill and timber and lumber operation in Riceboro are part of “actions to enhance its ability to serve and grow with customers,” the firm said. While eliminating its operations in Savannah and Riceboro, the firm said it will invest $250 million for renovations at its Riverdale mill in Selma, Alabama, to produce container board and sell its global cellulose. …The firm’s operations in Savannah and the surrounding area stretch back nearly 88 years. …Savannah Mayor Van Johnson expressed disappointment about the closure and concern for the 650 Savannah-based employees. …IP’s Simpson confirmed the Port Wentworth pulp mill will not close but had been sold.

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Lowe’s to buy Foundation Building Materials for $8.8-billion to boost contractor business

Lowe’s Companies Inc.
August 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MOORESVILLE, North Carolina — Lowe’s Companies announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Foundation Building Materials (FBM) for approximately $8.8 billion. FBM is a leading North American distributor of interior building products. …Since 2011, FBM has grown to a network of over 370 locations in the United States and Canada serving 40,000 Pro customers. In 2024, on a pro forma basis, FBM generated approximately $6.5 billion in revenue. FBM is expected to accelerate Lowe’s Total Home strategy by enhancing its offering to Pro customers through expanded capabilities, faster fulfillment, improved digital tools, a robust trade credit platform, and significant cross-selling opportunities between FBM and Lowe’s as well as the recently acquired Artisan Design Group. …Ruben Mendoza and the senior leadership team will continue to lead FBM… and collaborate closely with Lowe’s for their Pro customers.

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Domtar odor mitigation plan continues, demolition underway

By Belle Johnson
WJHL Tennessee
August 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

KINGSPORT, Tennessee – Domtar has announced progress is being made in the two-phase plan to help mitigate the odor coming from the Kingsport Domtar mill. About a month ago, the air permit from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation was approved, which allows for the beginning of phase two. Contractors are on site at the back of the Domtar Kingsport mill, demolishing current structures to make room for an anaerobic digester. Domtar’s VP for Strategic Capital, Charlie Floyd, said it will take over a year for construction to be completed. “The most intense construction time frame is going to be is actually going to start late this year, into the first six months of next year, with maxing out at a little bit over 150 contract employees,” Floyd said. Floyd said Domtar is currently using temporary solutions to help with odor mitigation.

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Domtar will indefinitely idle operations at its Grenada, Mississippi paper mill

By Adam Prestridge
The Northside Sun
August 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

MISSISSIPPI — Domtar Corporation will indefinitely idle operations at its Grenada, Miss., paper mill in September, marking a significant transition for an industrial cornerstone that has stood at 1000 Paper Mill Rd., for decades. Officials with Domtar, which purchased Resolute Forest Products in March 2023, announced the decision to its employees Wednesday, citing a response to newsprint market conditions. …The company is taking steps to ensure a safe and orderly wind-down of production and is committed to supporting the more than 160 employees, their families and the Grenada community through career transition resources, benefits guidance and transparent communication during this period. Matthew Harrison, president & CEO for the Greater Grenada Partnership, said Domtar’s announcement is a transitional period for Grenada County. …Harrison added that the mill’s closure is “difficult,” but not the end of Grenada’s story.

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New Zealand timber industry braces in troubled times

By Kate Green
Radio New Zealand
August 22, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

NEW ZEALAND — The timber industry is battening down the hatches, as it struggles with low demand, increased running costs, and wars and tariffs overseas. Carter Holt Harvey has announced plans to shut its Eves Valley sawmill near Nelson and consolidate its operations to Kawerau in Bay of Plenty, blaming weak markets. The closure would affect 142 jobs. Timber Industry Federation executive director Jeff Ilott said demand had dropped, with building consents down from 51,000 in 2022 to 34,000 in the year to June. The lack of demand, combined with increased running costs from electricity, compliance and insurance, meant sawmills felt the squeeze. The overseas markets were also unstable, due to conflict and tariffs. “We might see a bit of a glimmer of light in the future in terms of building consent numbers starting to climb again, but it seems like a distant thing at the moment,” Ilott said.

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International Paper to Sell Fibers Business for $1.5 Billion

International Paper
August 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — International Paper announced it has reached a definitive agreement with American Industrial Partners (AIP) to sell its Global Cellulose Fibers (GCF) business for $1.5 billion, subject to closing adjustments, including the issuance of preferred stock with an aggregate initial liquidation preference of $190 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to regulatory approvals. “GCF is a strong business, and I’m pleased to see it transitioning to AIP, which is focused on investing in and growing industrial businesses,” said IP Chief Executive Officer Andy Silvernail. In addition, its specialty pulp serves as a sustainable raw material used in construction materials, paints, coatings and more. GCF generated $2.8 billion in revenue in 2024 and has 3,300 employees globally, with nine manufacturing facilities and eight regional offices.

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Finance & Economics

What are the Prospects for Lumber Prices?

By Andrew Hecht
Barchart
August 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

The United States is the top wood-importing country. Trade issues and tariffs could be a significant factor in determining the path of least resistance for lumber, lumber futures, and wood product prices over the coming weeks and months. …The offseason for lumber demand is on the horizon. The potential for increased price variance due to the uncertainty created by U.S.-Canada trade relations remains high, and the path of least resistance of U.S. short-term interest rates is likely to be lower. Time will tell if longer-term rates follow any Fed Rate cuts over the coming months. Lumber remains a critical construction material, and the current price levels offer a positive risk-reward profile. Accumulating lumber-related assets on a scale-down basis during periods of price weakness over the coming weeks and months could be optimal for 2026, provided the housing market improves and lumber demand rises. 

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Lumber prices are tumbling. Here’s what that means for the housing market now.

By Myra Saefong
Dow Jones in Morningstar
August 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber buyers placed unsuccessful bets on tariffs and interest rates Lumber prices have dropped by more than 14% from a record high in early August. Many home builders, contractors and retailers wagered that higher U.S. tariffs on imports would boost the cost of lumber, while lower interest rates would lift demand for the building material. But those bets have failed to pay off – and lumber prices have tallied a steep decline from a record high reached only three weeks ago. That price decline could lead to a drop in production at a time when home-building and housing demand starts to heat up. The demand component for spring 2025 was a “complete swing and a miss,” said Greg Kuta, at lumber broker Westline Capital Strategies. …On Tuesday, lumber futures for September delivery settled at $595.50 per thousand board feet. …Canadian mills are losing out with lumber prices well under the cost of production,” Kuta said.

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Powell Appears to Signal Rate Cuts Due to Evolving Circumstances

By Robert Dietz, Chief Economist
NAHB Eye on Housing
August 22, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Federal Reserve Chair Powell gave a mostly green light for monetary policy easing in September. Noting that inflation remains elevated, Powell stated that “the balance of risks appears to be shifting.” …The implication of this observation is that easing is in view for monetary policy given the Fed’s dual mandate of maintaining both price stability and full employment. Markets expect a cut in September. Powell detailed an important point for the housing demand, that the labor market has avoided large job losses due to policy tightening and the economy has shown “resilience.” The Fed chair also indicated that inflation pressure is now in the data from tariffs, including a rise in goods prices. …Moreover, some of the pressure from tariffs is being relaxed as trade deals are arranged and de-escalations of some trade tensions are undertaken. Canada’s drop of retaliatory trade actions against the US is a good example.

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US New and Existing Homes Remain Largely Unaffordable in Second Quarter

By Rose Quint
NAHB Eye on Housing
August 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

While new homes remain largely unaffordable, builder efforts to improve housing affordability paid dividends in the second quarter of 2025, according to the latest data from the NAHB/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI). The CHI results from the second quarter of 2025 show that a family earning the nation’s median income of $104,200 needed 36% of its income to cover the mortgage payment on a median-priced new home. Low-income families, defined as those earning only 50% of median income, would have to spend 71% of their earnings to pay for the same new home. …The second quarter of 2025 marked the largest historical gap where existing home prices exceeded those of new homes. …The percentage of a family’s income needed to purchase a new home was unchanged at 36% from the first to the second quarter, while the low-income CHI fell from 72% to 71% over the same period.

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Evidence from sawmill closures in Michigan between 2019 and 2023

By Basanta Lamsal, Jagdish Poudel and Raju Pokharel
Science Direct, Forest Policy and Economics
August 25, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States, US East

This study investigates the economic impact of sawmill entry and exits in Michigan between 2019 and 2023, a period marked by ongoing structural changes in the industry, including the closure of several large mills and the opening of smaller or mid-sized operations. Using observed employment changes… we applied an employment-based multiplier analysis to estimate how net sawmill job losses affected the statewide economy. The results show that while only 273 direct jobs were lost due to net changes from sawmill entry and exit during this period, the broader ripple effects were much larger, approximately 820 jobs and $211 million in output loss. These effects were most pronounced in labor-intensive sectors such as logging and transportation, as well as in downstream sectors like wholesale trade and real estate. The findings highlight the central role of sawmills in regional supply chains and states labor markets, with two-thirds of job losses occurring outside the mills themselves.

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Nordic timber industry faces cost pressures and market volatility in H1 2025

By Sanjoy Narayan
RISI Fastmarkets
August 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Six of the major Nordic timber and forest industry companies posted largely challenging results for the first half of 2025. Most companies reported declining profitability despite mixed sales performances. …High raw materials costs continue to pressure margins universally, with multiple companies stating that current wood prices are unsustainable for long-term industry profitability. Companies with integrated value chains demonstrated significantly greater resilience in this challenging environment. Global trade tensions and increasing tariffs have created substantial market uncertainty, while currency volatility – particularly the rapid strengthening of SEK against USD – has severely impacted export-oriented operations.  …The industry outlook for the remainder of 2025 remains cautiously managed. The recovery in European construction markets continues to be slower than anticipated, while global trade policy uncertainties are expected to persist. Companies with integrated value chains, diversified product portfolios, and recent strategic investments appear best positioned to navigate the complex market conditions. 

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Real estate developer presents results of mass timber fire testing

By Dakota Smith
The Woodworking Network
August 20, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

MADISON, Wisconsin — Neutral, a real estate development company, has presented the results of a 3-hour fire test for a hybrid mass timber building assembly with standard connectors. Neutral conducted a series of fire resistance tests to determine a 3-hour fire-resistance rating (FRR), proving equivalent performance of the mass timber structure with IBC construction type I-A. Test results exceeded expectations: the assemblies performed exceptionally under loaded fire conditions. …The test was conducted in the Spring of 2025 at SwRI lab in San Antonio, Texas. It was prepared in collaboration with Forefront Structural Engineers. …Neutral is publishing the test results (report 1, report 2) for open use by industry researchers and practitioners around the world. This is the first successful implementation of the three-hour fire test of a mass timber assembly that illustrates the safety and potential of mass timber application in high-rise construction.

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Paper and Paper-Based Packaging Industry Votes to End Its Marketing Program

Paper and Packaging Board
August 6, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

The paper and paper-based packaging industry’s national research and promotion program, administered by the Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB), will not continue following the results of the July continuance referendum vote. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published the results where 74% of manufacturers and importers voting, who represented 90% of the volume of paper and paper-based packaging voted in the referendum, were not in favor of continuing the program. For the referendum to pass, the number of voting companies and the voting tons they represent must be over 50% in favor of continuing the program.  …“While I am very disappointed by the results, I am proud of all the progress we have made as an industry speaking with one voice and the positive improvements in industry reputation and preference for its products,” said Mary Anne Hansan, president of P+PB. 

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How Arkansas’s timber university building could revolutionise architecture

By Oliver Wainwright
The Guardian
August 26, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas — Unlikely as it may seem, this rumbling stretch of road on the edge of this small city is now home to one of the most significant buildings for the future of architecture in North America. …The Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation looks like a group of great big barns caught in a highway pile-up. …“We imagined the building as a storybook of wood,” says Yvonne Farrell, of Dublin architects Grafton. …The angular wooden hangar provides a huge new workshop, studio space and auditorium for the University of Arkansas’s Fay Jones school of architecture, under the deanship of Peter MacKeith. …This is the fourth mass timber building that the university has completed since MacKeith arrived here in 2014. It follows an impressive library annex, student dormitory complex and research institute, but is by far the most ambitious project, pushing the limits of what the industry can do.

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Why Maine Is Falling Behind in Race to Build Timber Buildings

By Lori Valigra
The Bangor Daily News
August 24, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

When Millard Dority came out of retirement to oversee the expansion of Jesup Memorial Library, he had one goal: to prove that Maine could produce its own cross-laminated timber. Instead, he uncovered a glaring hole in the state’s forest economy. …But with no CLT factories in Maine, the wood had to be trucked from New England to Illinois for processing, then hauled back to Bar Harbor—a headache in a state blanketed by forests. …The Jesup Library expansion is one of just 27 CLT projects in Maine, using spruce-pine-fir and eastern hemlock from New England. Forestry expert Andy Fast said these underused species are finding new life through CLT, but warned, “Supply chain efficiencies will determine whether it’s a viable product longer term.” Despite interest, Maine has failed to land a CLT manufacturer. LignaTerra Global and SmartLam both announced plans in 2018, only to back out. [to access the full story a Bangor Daily News subscription is required].

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Forestry

The US should stop taxing Canadian lumber if it wants cleaner air

By Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist, Conference Board of Canada
The Financial Post
August 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, United States

Canada’s forests are burning. …Smoke from these fires has degraded air quality across Canada and the US. The situation has led some US policymakers to publicly blame Canada for failing to manage wildfires and to demand more active forest management. These critiques are hypocritical, given their record of climate change denial. …Yet beyond partisan politics, the US continues to impose tariffs on Canadian lumber, undermining our capacity to invest in stronger forest management. …Eliminating or reducing US tariffs would instantly raise the value of Canada’s standing forest stock, sending a price signal that makes forestry activity viable in regions that are currently too remote or costly to harvest. At the margin, higher returns would unlock investment in better forest management, including areas that are now left untouched because they are uneconomic to service. …Lifting tariffs would be the first step, but it would not be a cure-all. 

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Cougar sculpture erected to block logging trucks in Upper Walbran Valley

By Jeff Lawrence
Chek News
August 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Logging trucks in the Upper Walbran Valley were met with an unusual blockade Monday morning — a 15-foot cougar sculpture erected by anonymous forest defenders demanding permanent protection of one of Vancouver Island’s last intact old-growth watersheds. The group, which says it has the blessing of several local First Nations elders, is targeting eight provincially approved cut blocks in Tree Farm License 44. The license is currently held by C̕awak ʔqin Forestry, a partnership between the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and Western Forest Products. …While the provincial government enacted temporary logging deferrals in 2021 for the Central Walbran Valley and neighbouring Fairy Creek watershed, those measures do not extend to the upper valley. Geoff Payne, for C̕awak ʔqin Forestry, said… “Our approach reflects this understanding and follows the Pacheedaht First Nation and the Province’s shared objective for the area. He said that the Pacheedaht First Nation chief and council have consented to the tree harvesting plan.”

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Kelowna discussion on connection of forestry and flooding in BC

By Barry Gerding
The Vernon Morning Star
August 22, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Sonia Furstenau

The former leader of the BC Green Party will be one of the panellists leading a discussion about the negative impacts of clear-cut logging on the environment. Sonia Furstenau will participate in the upcoming event co-hosted by the Interior Watershed Task Force and Joe Rich Forestry Trails and Watershed Committee. Along with the panel discussion, there will be a screening of the documentary film Trouble In The Headwaters, which examines the 2018 Grand Forks flood and reveals the connection of clear-cut logging in the headwaters of the Kettle River Basin. Filmmaker Daniel Pierce will also be on hand and Dr. Younes Alila, a professor of hydrology at UBC, and two retired loggers. On the panel along with Furstenau and Pierce will be Mike Morris, a former Liberal MLA; Dave Gill, general manager of Ntityix Resources LP, a natural resource company owned by Westbank First Nation.

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Vanderhoof hunting lodge loses appeal of fine for logging without a licence

By Bob Mackin
The Prince George Citizen
August 23, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

The Forest Appeals Commission dismissed a Vanderhoof hunting and fishing lodge’s appeal of a $25,000 fine for cutting Crown timber without a licence. In an Aug. 13 decision, panel chair Maureen Baird upheld the March 2023 fine against Crystal Lake Resort Ltd. by the Ministry of Forests. Daniel Brooks, whose family bought the resort in 1975, admitted trees were cut without a licence in July 2020 on a right of way and the company asked, after the fact, for the Ministry of Forests to authorize the removal of merchantable timber. The ministry advised the company that it needed to have a licence to harvest in the first place. Brooks said he did not know he needed a licence. …The Ministry approved the required management plan, that allowed cutting trees if the resort had a forestry licence to do so.

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Forestry workers are on the frontlines of the wildfires

By Geoff Russ
Resource Works
August 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Forestry has long been a key pillar of British Columbia’s resource economy and is central to many regional economies, but for those who work in the forests, the industry is increasingly defined not by trees but by fire. Every year wildfires force loggers, silviculture crews, and sawmill suppliers to adapt to a landscape where risk is constant, work is precarious, and survival often depends on quick action. Few industries are more exposed to wildfire, and few workers bear the burden more. …The problem is twofold. Forestry workers are directly threatened by flames, smoke, and unstable terrain, but they are also squeezed by the economic impact of fires. The loss of timber means fewer shifts in the bush or at the mill. Salvaging burned wood is a partial solution, but even that requires speed and regulatory flexibility. …For forestry workers, wildfires are no longer seasonal events; they’re part of the job.

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Washington state to conserve thousands of acres of ‘legacy forests’

By Isabella Breda
The Seattle Times
August 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

David Upthegrove

TIGER MOUNTAIN, Issaquah — Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove is making good on a campaign promise to conserve thousands of acres of older forests in Washington dubbed legacy forests. The state Department of Natural Resources announced it would conserve 77,000 acres of these structurally complex forests. The state defines these structurally complex forests as those with gaps in the canopy, diverse species growing below and a relatively low presence of large fallen logs or snags. …They are very close to fully mature forests with increased biodiversity. …These forests will no longer be in the state’s traditional logging rotation. Instead, the state said it would go to the Legislature for permission to enter carbon markets and look to new ways of managing the lands. …The state said it could also provide supply for mass timber. …Environmental advocates have been calling for the protection of these second-growth forests since 2021.

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Oregon’s forestry sector needs new workers, industry leaders say, with new skills

By Tristin Hoffman
Oregon Live
August 26, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

Oregon’s forestry sector, once the state’s driving industry, has scaled back dramatically, the result of modernization and reduced harvests since the 1990s. Yet the industry is still adding workers and looking to replace retirees — now with a growing demand for technical expertise. The industry’s employers say they’re struggling to fill the jobs they have. Retirements have thinned the ranks, turnover is high and new workers are hard to recruit. Adding to the trouble, a workforce study found the sector will add 3,400 jobs annually through 2030. In particular, the report found Oregon’s colleges and universities aren’t producing enough forestry graduates to meet demand — suggesting Oregon employers might have to recruit from elsewhere to staff some of the highest-paying jobs in a signature sector. It’s a counterintuitive finding for an industry that’s been cutting further in recent months through the closures of mills and factories. Officials say that’s because there’s more to forestry work than logging.

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Wisconsin researchers listen to forests to learn more about protecting them

By Bridgit Bowden
Wisconsin Public Radio
August 25, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

Once a month, researchers hike through the woods in the Baraboo Hills to check on small boxes strapped to tree trunks. The boxes hold microphones that are running 24 hours a day, capturing the soundscape of the forest. But for a research team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, they could be an important way to learn about the health of forests. The Soundscape Baselines Project is an effort to record a full year of audio in untouched forests all over the world. Bioacoustics enable researchers to get a fuller picture of the forest, the species that inhabit it and how they change over time, said Zuzana Burivalova, the project’s founder. …Burivalova’s team and their partners are recording in six locations around the world: Ecuador, Peru, Gabon, Germany, Brunei and Wisconsin. …“These new technologies, like bioacoustics, artificial intelligence … they’re finally enabling us to really understand what is out there and how it’s changing,” she said.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Coal-To-Wood Pellet Conversions Can Help Meet Projected Growth In US Power Demand

By Erin Krueger
Biomass Magazine
August 25, 2025
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: United States

FutureMetrics published a white paper that describes how converting US coal-fired power plants to burn wood pellets can help fill the projected gap between US power generation capacity and electricity demand. The white paper, authored by William Struass, explains that electricity demand could increase by 175 gigawatts over the next decade, fueled in part by increased power demand from AI. At the same time, hundreds of old coal-fired plants representing more than 110 GW of capacity are scheduled to retire resulting in an expected gap of nearly 300 GW of capacity over the next 10 years. …The use of wood pellets, however, can help provide a solution. Strauss cites success in the UK, where former coal plants now provide baseload power using wood pellets. Most of the wood pellet fuel currently used in the UK comes from the U.S. Strauss estimates the US exported just under 7 million metric tons of wood pellets to the UK last year. 

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Forest Fires

Evacuation order expanded as strong winds fan Long Lake wildfire

CBC News
August 24, 2025
Category: Forest Fires
Region: Canada, Canada East

ANNAPOLIS COUNTY, Nova Scotia — An evacuation order was expanded Sunday afternoon and again in the evening as the Long Lake wildfire in Annapolis County continues to grow due to strong winds and high temperatures. An emergency alert Sunday evening said evacuations were being extended to include Highway 10 around Trout, Zwicker and East lakes, Old Liverpool Road, Che-Boag-A-Nish Road and West Dalhousie Road in Albany Cross. Another post by the Department of Natural Resources said the fire remains out of control and growing. It said the fire has crossed West Dalhousie Road at several points, crossed Thorne Road and moved as far as Paradise Lake. …Jim Rudderham, director of fleet and forest protection with Natural Resources, told reporters Sunday afternoon that weather conditions are working against the efforts of firefighters trying to bring the blaze in the West Dalhousie area under control.

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