Brenda Bailey

The B.C. government is forecasting tough times in the forestry industry as U.S. tariffs take effect and lumber producers face timber constraints in the province. The B.C. budget tabled on Tuesday said the provincial government is expecting lower annual volumes of tree harvesting over the next three years, restricting the production of softwood lumber. “Total annual harvest volume on Crown land is projected to average 30 million cubic metres over the fiscal plan,” according to the budget released by B.C. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey. …Tuesday’s B.C. budget comes only three days after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a new U.S. investigation into softwood lumber that is global in scope. …In an announcement on Monday for preliminary rate revisions, the Commerce Department said it plans to raise anti-dumping duties for most Canadian lumber producers to 20.07 per cent. …Canadian producers have been paying U.S. duties for the past eight years, but the new tariffs will likely be paid by mostly U.S. importers. [A Globe and Mail subscription is required to read the full story]