Russ Taylor

Canadian producers of softwood lumber are facing challenges to gain greater access to timber in British Columbia as they cope with new U.S. tariffs stacked on top of existing duties. Vancouver-based forestry analyst Russ Taylor said the B.C. government finds itself in a bind on the forestry file, after Tuesday’s implementation of 25-per-cent tariffs, which are in addition to the current duty rate of 14.4 per cent for Canadian softwood shipped south of the border. “The government’s forest policy in the last five years has gone from conservation of the forests and to almost preservation – locking up the timber rather making it available to the industry,” Mr. Taylor said in an interview on Wednesday. …Mr. Taylor said the B.C. budget tabled on Tuesday forecasts that tree harvesting would dip to 29 million cubic metres in the 2027-28 fiscal year, and there remains no timetable for when the harvest might eventually rise to 45 million cubic metres annually. [Globe and Mail subscription required for full access]