Damage that the worst forest-fire season in B.C. has done to the province’s forest industry is showing up in trade statistics that show overall exports down 14 per cent to the end of August, according to B.C. Stats. …“This is almost unprecedented,” said Peter Hall, vice-president and chief economist for Export Development Canada. However, he views the damage as a temporary hit on B.C.’s trade and that… the province’s exports will rebound in line with a recovering U.S. housing-construction market. …On balance, however, Export Development Canada sees zero growth in exports from B.C. in 2018 after experiencing a robust eight-per-cent increase in export trade by the end of this year. …Susan Yurkovich, CEO of the Council of Forest Industries, said there were other factors affecting lumber exports besides the fires, such as punitive duties by the U.S. Commerce Department and a slowdown in American construction due to hurricanes and floods in the southern states.