The Trump administration is expected to formally declare on Wednesday that it will not extend the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement on trade, starting a decade-long clock to wind down the 32-year-old North American free trade zone. That declaration will kick off a six-year review session, part of a “sunset clause” negotiated by President Trump’s first administration. However, it will do little to alter contentious negotiations over the pact’s future, including sweeping demands to boost US content in automotive production and trade protections to block Chinese goods. …Trade chiefs from the US, Mexico and Canada are expected to meet virtually on Wednesday and declare whether they want to extend the pact for another 16 years. …Failure to reach agreement on revisions to USMCA would keep the trade pact in an indefinite limbo, with similar review sessions annually for the next 10 years. …The review and sunset process is separate from a termination clause that the US could exercise, triggering a withdrawal within six months.
Related coverage by:
- Kelly Malone, Canadian Press: Trade pact set to stay in place as US blows past key deadline
- Daniel Desrochers in Politico: Trump ‘hates’ his own trade deal. But he’ll have a hard time killing it
- Shawn Jeffords in CBC News: Businesses and unions are balancing anxiety and hope for CUSMA
Corporate bosses are more relaxed about tariffs now than at any time since US President Trump’s return to power unleashed a spate of trade policy chaos. The share of corporate earnings calls in which tariffs were mentioned has fallen to the lowest level since Mr. Trump won the 2024 election, according to an analysis of transcripts. …The same pattern has played out on both sides of the border, even though companies have plenty of reasons to remain anxious on the trade front. The USMCA is set to enter uncharted territory on July 1. …Steep sectoral duties remain in place. …Meanwhile, Mr. Trump is expected to launch a wave of hefty tariffs next month to replace temporary duties he imposed after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his earlier emergency tariffs. [to access the full story a Globe and Mail subscription is required]
A Toronto company is suing BC, saying it was stripped of its mining rights as part of a deal with the Gitxaała Nation. In a lawsuit filed in BC Supreme Court, MCC Canadian Gold Ventures says it was asked to rescue a small gold mine on Banks Island, south of Prince Rupert. But then the BC government stripped its mining rights to offset some of the impacts of another BC Supreme Court ruling involving the Gitxaała. The company says it invested millions in the property and now cannot move ahead on the project. …The province has not filed a response. …MCC said their case has “striking” parallels to a lawsuit launched by Carrier Lumber in the 1990s. In 2002, the province paid a large settlement to Carrier Lumber over a lawsuit it won over government decisions the company said made it impossible to harvest timber in the BC Interior.
VANCOUVER — A BC judge has ruled against a Richmond company that sought to reopen the Cowichan Tribes Aboriginal title case. Last year’s landmark B.C. Supreme Court decision found the Cowichan held Aboriginal title to a swath of land in southeast Richmond, including privately owned lands. The application to reopen the case was brought by the Montrose companies, which owns warehouses, a Coca-Cola distribution centre and other facilities in the area. The company was not involved in the trial that led to the 2025 ruling, but said it affected the status of its property and, in one case, led to a potential deal being put on hold. In a decision dated Monday, BC Supreme Court Justice Barbara Young dismissed the company’s application. …She said the proper place for Montrose to make its case is through an appeal.
A volatile trade picture in B.C. continued into April as goods exports fell four per cent month-to-month (unadjusted for seasonality) to $4.5 billion, while imports fell by a more rapid clip of 14 per cent to $6.2 billion. That said, exports were still up significantly year-over-year by 6.7 per cent, while imports rose a more modest 2.1 per cent. …Current year-over-year growth has been driven primarily by energy products, which rose 9.7 per cent (+$128 million), along with metal ores and non-metallic minerals… In contrast, the beleaguered forestry sector declined nine per cent (-$81 million) to $823 million, although April marked the highest monthly export value for the sector in nine months. Forestry continues to face headwinds from elevated U.S. softwood lumber duties, broader trade measures (including Section 232 tariffs), timber supply constraints and softer demand conditions. Year-to-date … forestry exports fell 24.8 per cent (-$1 billion)… In B.C., building permit activity receded sharply in April…
As part of ongoing work to diversify trade, Premier David Eby is leading a trade mission to China to strengthen commercial ties with the province’s second-largest trading partner and explore new opportunities to support good-paying jobs for people in British Columbia’s forestry, energy, tourism and agriculture sectors. … “China is the world’s second-largest economy and is our second-largest export market for B.C. goods and services. Encouraging tourism while selling more B.C. wood, agricultural products and energy will mean more money for families and more money to pay for the services British Columbians deserve,” said Premier Eby. …British Columbia and China share a longstanding partnership with collaboration across a range of areas from sustainable forest management to wood construction innovation and clean energy.
CN Rail has been fined $435,000, having been found responsible for causing a wildfire near Spences Bridge a year after the nearby town of Lytton was devastated by a catastrophic wildfire. According to a June 17 BC Forest Appeals Commission decision, CN Rail was found to have caused a wildfire that burned outside of Spencers Bridge in September 2022. Last year, the BC government issued a $435,371 fine to the company. Broken down, the fine covered $60,000 for damaged or destroyed mature Crown timber, $27,000 for damaging or destroying forest and grassland resources, and a further $348,000 to cover the cost of controlling wildfire K72249. “During their investigations, Natural Resource Officer Service staff collected field information and photographs and obtained recorded statements from several eyewitnesses. As a result of their investigation, the Natural Resource Officer Service alleged that CN Rail had contravened… BC Wildfire Regulation(s),” the decision reads.
Forestry Innovation Investment’s 2025/26 Year in Review is now available. It is a compilation of market development activities completed by FII and our many industry, association, government, academic and research partners over the past year. We are committed to a collaborative delivery approach, building on the strengths and shared resources that other organizations bring to this important work. The forest sector continues to face challenging market conditions and ongoing trade uncertainty. As we adapt to these pressures, diversification remains central to strengthening the sector. By expanding markets and making the most of B.C.’s forest resources, FII and its partners are supporting long-term resilience. This includes advancing wood use in B.C., supporting growth in mass timber and prefabricated construction, and pursuing opportunities across international markets. The report includes the range of work underway, and the milestones achieved over the past year. 
WASHINGTON – President Trump said he hasn’t decided whether he will sign a bipartisan housing bill, dismissing the landmark affordable housing legislation as “a big yawn” and “so unimportant” compared to an unrelated bill he supports to overhaul voting in elections. Trump told reporters on Monday, June 29 that he won’t make a decision on The 21st Century Road to Housing Act until it arrives on his desk. The president abruptly canceled a signing ceremony last week for the housing bill and said he won’t sign it until Congress passes the SAVE America Act ‒ a stalled bill he backs that would require photo identification and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and prohibit universal mail-in voting across the country. …The housing bill is the first major piece of legislation that passed Congress in more than three decades to address the nation’s affordable housing crisis.
A sprawling legislative package aimed at lowering the cost of housing and spurring more home construction won bipartisan approval from Congress this week, but it’s hit a major roadblock in becoming law: President Trump. The White House supported the 
The European Union has formally removed its remaining tariffs on American wood-based industrial products after the European Parliament approved legislation implementing the long-awaited 
