British Columbia Trade Envoy to the United States David Emerson was in Portland, Ore. yesterday advancing B.C.’s interests in the ongoing softwood lumber dispute. Emerson and Canadian Consul-General Brandon Lee discussed how Canada and B.C. can work together to defend common interests in the United States and advocate for resolution of trade disputes. The pair met with Senator Jeff Merkley to reinforce how British Columbia and Canada can help meet the U.S. consumer demand for quality lumber products. U.S. domestic lumber production is currently not meeting U.S. demand, despite the increase in production over the last year. Emerson and Lee also met with Governor Kate Brown’s policy advisors and senior congressional staffers. Oregon is an important market in the U.S. for B.C. softwood lumber products.