Category Archives: Business & Politics

Business & Politics

Canadian Institute of Forestry seeks Executive Director

The Canadian Institute of Forestry
June 16, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

The Institute is seeking an enthusiastic individual to provide strategic and operational leadership as Executive Director. The Executive Director leads the Canadian Institute of Forestry / Institut forestier du Canada (CIF-IFC), guiding the organization through strategic growth and operational excellence. This role ensures the long-term sustainability of the Institute through sound governance, financial stewardship, and stakeholder engagement. The Executive Director works closely with a small team, the Executive Committee, and a broad national network of members, volunteers and partners. They are accountable to the Board of Directors and collaborate with committees, staff, members, sponsors, and regions across Canada. This is a full-time, remote position. Individuals with the requisite qualifications are invited to apply by July 21, 2025.

Read More

Railway Association of Canada: Moving Economies Forward Event 2025

By The Forest Products Association of Canada
LinkedIn
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

The Forest Products Association of Canada’s Derek Nighbor spoke on a panel at the Railway Association of Canada’s Moving Economies event. Forestry projects don’t always get the spotlight — but they’re critical, long-term investments in Canada’s future. The impact of forestry projects? Multi-generational. These are good-paying, family-supporting jobs in communities across Canada – not minimum wage work. We work under provincial jurisdiction on 94% of our lands, and that means extensive planning, consultation, and coordination with Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, considering every element of the ecosystem – birds, mammals, fish, forests. And yet, at the eleventh hour, we’re often blindsided by federal interventions that disrupt years of community-level planning. We’re not asking for shortcuts. We’re asking for: A “one-window” permitting pathway to bring projects to life; Certainty and coordination between federal and provincial governments; and Recognition that forestry is a major project in the eyes of the communities it supports.

Read More

Foreign Control of US Lumber Mills Sparks Economic and Policy Debate

By Don Buckner, MadeinUSA.com
EIN Presswire
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Over the past decade, Canadian forestry companies have significantly expanded their footprint in the American lumber industry. While foreign investment remains a key component of a dynamic US economy, industry analysts and policymakers are increasingly scrutinizing the long-term implications of international control over critical domestic manufacturing infrastructure. Canadian-owned firms—including West Fraser, Canfor and Interfor—now operate dozens of sawmills in the US, with many holding more assets south of the border than in their home country. Additional Canadian firms—such as Tolko, Maibec, J.D. Irving, and Kruger—also maintain active operations and land holdings throughout the country. As foreign ownership of US lumber mills grows, several key concerns are emerging: Supply Chain Autonomy… Economic Retention… Market Influence. …Industry stakeholders are urging a closer examination of the issue. Policy suggestions include incentivizing domestic ownership, increasing sourcing transparency, and evaluating regulatory frameworks around foreign investment in strategic industries.

Read More

Ottawa’s plan for climate change adaptation is falling short, report says

Canadian Press in CTV News
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Jerry DeMarco

OTTAWA — Ottawa’s efforts to prepare the country for the impacts of climate change have stumbled out of the gate, Canada’s environment commissioner Jerry DeMarco said Tuesday. In a new report, DeMarco concluded the National Adaptation Strategy was not effectively designed, did not prioritize Canada’s climate change risks and only established one of its three components since its release in 2023. Canada has committed $1.6 billion to implementing the strategy, which is meant as a road map for communities across the country to up their game to prevent significant damage as the number of major storms, floods and fires increase exponentially with climate change. Environment and Climate Change Canada estimated that every dollar spent on proactive adaptation measures can save taxpayers between $13 and $15 in the long term. …DeMarco said federal programs meant to advance implementation of the National Adaptation Strategy contributed little.

Read More

HUB International launches exclusive HUB Forestry Select Insurance

By Hub International Limited
Cision Newswire
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

CHICAGO — Hub International Limited (HUB), a leading global insurance brokerage and financial services firm, announced the launch of HUB Forestry Select Insurance, a comprehensive solution designed to protect and reduce liability risks for Canada’s forestry industry. This specialized solution offers streamlined underwriting, competitive pricing and reliable claims support for forestry contractors, sawmills, manufacturers and businesses managing access roads or powerline clearing. Business owners in the forestry and wood products industry face daily risks such as fire, equipment breakdown, liability and cargo loss. HUB Forestry Select Insurance offers tailored insurance protection and program stability, and industry experts who provide proactive risk management and customized coverage for businesses of all sizes. “Our goal is to support the forestry industry with an insurance solution that not only delivers meaningful value but also fosters long-term business resilience,” said Marc Chouinard, HUB National Practice Lead, Agribusiness Canada.

Read More

Prime Minister Carney convenes the Incident Response Group to address wildfire situation

By Prime Minister Mark Carney
Government of Canada
June 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Mark Carney

Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, convened the Incident Response Group with ministers and senior officials to address the ongoing 2025 wildfire situation affecting many parts of the country. The group was briefed on efforts to respond to the fires and support evacuations. This includes the mobilization of Canadian Armed Forces personnel to assist with the evacuation of Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario. The Prime Minister emphasized the close contact between various arms of the federal government, premiers, and the Canadian Armed Forces. All orders of government remain engaged, including with Indigenous leadership. Prime Minister Carney and the group thanked all first responders and officials on the ground, and reiterated that the federal government stands ready to mobilize additional support wherever needed and in all aspects. 

Related coverage from the Canadian Press in CTV News: Ottawa sending support from armed forces amid northern Ontario wildfire evacuations

Read More

US Lumber Coalition Comments on National Association of Home Builders FoxBusiness Statement

The US Lumber Coalition
June 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

The NAHB has a long-established policy priority of working with Canada to promote unfettered access to the US market for unfairly traded Canadian lumber. …In a recent FoxBusiness report highlighting falling lumber prices… CEO of the NAHB, again indicated a desire to ensure continued access to Canadian lumber imports by stating that “we need to make sure that we have a reliable, affordable source of lumber.” “It is no secret that Canada engages in harmful unfair trade practices,” stated Andrew Miller of Stimson Lumber Company, adding “yet NAHB continues to advocate for the importation of injurious unfairly traded Canadian lumber while paying lip service to the idea of fair and balanced trade. …”It is ironic that NAHB and Canada are pushing the theme that US consumers pay for the duties, yet they are spending upwards of $50 million dollars a year fighting against the imposition of antidumping and anti-subsidy duties,” said Zoltan van Heyningen.

Related coverage in Mortgage Professional America: Experts split over lumber market’s role in housing slump

Read More

Ontario Launches Plan to Secure Energy for Generations

By Ministry of Energy and Mines
Government of Ontario
June 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

TORONTO – The Ontario government released Energy for Generations, the province’s first-ever integrated energy plan – a comprehensive roadmap to meet future energy needs, support new housing and power the most competitive economy in the G7. This plan is an important part of the government’s work to protect Ontario by bringing together electricity, natural gas, hydrogen and other energy sources under a single coordinated strategy to ensure the province has affordable, secure, reliable and clean energy. …”Ontario’s forest biomass resource is an entirely domestic source of secure, dispatchable. low-carbon heating and electrical energy. Over 80% of bioenergy expenditures remain within a region, providing an essential avenue for northern, rural, and Indigenous communities to participate in Ontario’s energy transformation. Ontario is on a path to become a more globally competitive forest product jurisdiction, and the Ontario Forest Industries Association commends Minister Lecce and Premier Doug Ford for today’s announcement.”

Read More

Curtailment at Chemainus sawmill set to start next week; 150 workers to be laid off

By Darron Kloster
The Times Colonist
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Western Forest Products says it will curtail all operations at its Chemainus sawmill next week, sidelining 150 employees for an indefinite period. The company said the curtailment, set to start June 18, is due to market challenges that include weaker lumber demand and higher US softwood lumber duties, as well as a lack of available viable log supplies. The company also blamed market conditions and a lack of log supplies for a similar shutdown in the spring of last year. Western Forest Products’ other mills at Duke Point, Ladysmith, Saltair and Cowichan Bay, and a value-added remanufacturing plant in Chemainus, will continue to operate, said Babita Khunkhun, senior director of communications for Western Forest Products. She said there is no end date for the curtailment at the Chemainus mill at this point, as the company monitors conditions. The mayor of North Cowichan said he was initially told 55 workers were facing layoffs.

Read More

Asia trade mission opens opportunities for B.C. products, businesses

BC Government
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

David Eby

The Premier’s trade mission to Asia is bringing back new opportunities to grow a stronger, more diversified economy and create good jobs throughout the province. The 10-day economic tour promoted British Columbia’s strengths as a reliable trade partner that has what the world needs — from critical minerals and clean energy, to forestry and agriculture products, and the ports to deliver them. “This mission was about supporting B.C. jobs and building a British Columbia that will be the economic engine of a more independent Canada,” said Premier David Eby. “Our trade relationships with the Indo-Pacific are exceptionally important right now, as we work to diversify our markets and become less reliant on the United States. B.C. has a lot of advantages – our proximity to Asia, our abundance of natural resources, our talented and diverse workforce. These are all things that the world needs, and it was a great opportunity to showcase that to key trade partners.”

Read More

Deal to sell San Group’s Port Alberni mills, value-added plant awaits court approval

By Andrew Duffy
The Times Colonist
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

The major assets of the beleaguered San Group are under contract to be sold, awaiting only court approval. The monitor overseeing the credit-protection process has applied to the courts for approval of the sale. A court date is set for this week. …The largest creditors support the sales, despite the fact “they will suffer a significant shortfall on their debt.” The main properties in question are the Coulson manufacturing sawmills and San Group’s value-added facility in Port Alberni. There is also a mill in Langley and an adjacent agricultural parcel. The Surrey-based Fraserview Cedar has agreed to buy the Coulson facility in Port Alberni. The group has said it expects to have the mill up and running this year if the deal closes. A numbered BC company has entered into an agreement to buy the value-added facility. The buyers will lease the site to Ucluelet-based IGV Housing, which specializes in manufacturing scalable housing that combines pre-fab and on-site processes.

Read More

B.C. hires ex-minister and former union head to advise on labour negotiations

By Mark Page
Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

George Heyman

With collective bargaining underway on 182 labour agreements in B.C.’s public sector, the province has hired George Heyman, the former head of the B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) and the former environment and climate change minister, to advise the government on negotiating the core public service agreement. …There are 452,000 unionized public sector employees in B.C. … Most of these unions are working under expiring agreements this year, with the Public Service Agency’s collective agreement with the BCGEU up for renegotiation first. This includes wildland firefighters… Heyman is hired on with a contract that ends on July 31. He is set to make a maximum of $58,000. The hiring of consultants to advise premiers on labour negotiations is not unprecedented. Paul Faoro, the former president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees – B.C., advised John Horgan and Lee Doney, the former Western Forest Products board chair and a former deputy minister, advised Christy Clark.

Read More

Union members on strike at mid, north Island forestry operations

By Darron Kloster
Victoria Times Colonist
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

About 100 unionized forestry workers are on the picket line at operations on the mid and north Island, claiming their employer wants to contract out their work. United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 went on strike June 6, citing “significant concessions” demanded by La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership (LKSM Forestry). LKSM Forestry is the former Western Forest Products Mid-Island Forest operation now jointly owned by four First Nations of the Nanwakolas Council — the Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and K’ómoks First Nations — as well as Western Forest Products, which still owns the majority of the company. The Steelworkers union said one of the main concessions LKSM is demanding is the use of non-union contractors to do work currently done by union members on sites. That includes jobs performed by union members working for contractors on sites. …The union said it remains open to talks with the company that focus on resolving the outstanding issues.

Read More

Workers strike at LKSM Forestry LP on Vancouver Island

By Adam Chan
Chek News
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

About 100 unionized workers on Vancouver Island have started a strike against their employer, La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership (LKSM Forestry). The union representing the workers, United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1-1937, says the workers went on strike on Friday, June 6, because of “significant concessions” being demanded by the company. One of the main concessions that the company is asking for is the ability to bring in non-union contractor workers to perform work currently handled by USW members, according to the union. The union says the strike comes after 93 per cent of unionized workers voted in favour of strike action in late March. …La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership is owned partly by four local First Nations, the Tlowitsis, We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and K’ómoks First Nations, which are all members of the Nanwakolas Council, and Western Forest Products.

Related release by the United Steelworkers: Strike commences at LKSM Forestry LP on Vancouver Island

Read More

Fifty-five workers to be laid off at Chemainus Sawmill

By Justin Baumgardner
My Cowichan Valley Now
June 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

CHEMAINUS, BC — Fifty-five workers are scheduled to be laid off after a shortage of viable logs has forced production at the Chemainus Sawmill starting this month. According to North Cowichan mayor Rob Douglas, Western Forest Products has informed the municipality they intend to start curtailment of the jobs on Jun. 18. “The company has indicated the reason for the shutdown is due to their inability to find a viable supply of fiber,” Douglas says. “We don’t have a date as to when Western Forest Products is going to resume operations at the Chemainus Mill, but we hope it’s very short term.” …“I have reached out to the forest minister (Ravi Parmar),” he says. …Delays in permits and cutting fiber is a long-standing issue in BC, which has led to shutdowns and impacting production, but Douglas says he has been reassured by Parmar that the province is addressing the issue.

Read More

West Fraser celebrates 50 years in Slave Lake, Alberta

The Lakeside Leader
June 8, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

SLAVE LAKE, Alberta — On Saturday, May 24, West Fraser’s Slave Lake Veneer plant celebrated its 50th anniversary with the community of Slave Lake. Several hundred community members, elected officials, Indigenous leaders, employees and retirees joined the company for a day of festivities, including lunch, bouncy castles, face painting and an opportunity to learn more about the history of Slave Lake Veneer’s operations. These directly employ 150 local residents, mostly in the mill, but also in the woodlands department, as well hundreds of more with contractors that supply the operation. …West Fraser acquired Slave Lake Veneer in 1999, as part of its acquisition of Zeidler Forest Products. At the time, the mill operated as both a veneer plant and a stud mill. In 2016, all lumber production was transferred to the newly-acquired sawmill in High Prairie. Today, veneer output is almost 13 times higher than when the plant opened in 1973.

Read More

Sinclar Group Forest Products founders recognized with lifetime achievement award

By Ted Clarke
The Prince George Citizen
June 7, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Bob Stewart & Ivan Andersen

 In 1962, Bob Stewart and Ivan Andersen became business partners as lumber wholesalers after years of working in the Sinclair Mills planer mill northeast of Prince George. …In the late 1960s Stewart and Andersen expanded their operations to lumber manufacturing when they teamed up with Apollo Forest Products in Fort St. James and the L&M Lumber in Vanderhoof, and in 1971 they opened the Nechako Lumber planer mill in Vanderhoof. Their continued success led to purchases of two Prince George sawmills — Lakeland Mills in 1973 and The Pas Lumber Company in 1987. …Stewart died in 2003, followed by Andersen in 2011 and on May 5, 2025 in a ceremony in Vancouver they were inducted into the Business Laureate BC Hall of Fame. The award recognizes the lifetime achievements of outstanding BC business leaders whose efforts have shaped our province and country. Sinclar president Greg Stewart says the principles of running a third-generation family business established by his grandfather Bob and Ivan Andersen continue to guide the company’s daily operations. 

Read More

Yu wants Prince George to factor into provincial, federal economic plans

By Colin Slark
The Prince George Citizen
June 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Simon Yu

With BC Premier David Eby currently on a trade mission to Asia and Prime Minister Mark Carney looking to establish an east-west energy corridor, Prince George Mayor Simon Yu has hopes that his city will be part of the provincial and federal government’s plans to diversify the Canadian economy. Yu said it was great to see the premier head to Asia to visit some of the province’s biggest customers. …“We are looking forward to the premier perhaps re-establishing a BC trade mission in Asia in a much broader, prominent way,” he said. The mayor said he was also hoping that the premier promotes BC’s timber industry while in Asia. While the US will always be one of our biggest customers despite the ongoing trade disputes with the Trump Administration, Yu said having secondary customers in Asia would help stabilize the supply chain.

Read More

As Liberals push prefab, B.C. researcher touts new construction methods

By Jami Makan
Business in Vancouver
June 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

As Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government plans billions in financing for builders of prefabricated homes, one expert says it’s a “significant amount of money” and “a very healthy kick-start” for the industry. The federal government’s Build Canada Homes (BCH) plan promises, among other things, more than $25 billion in financing to “innovative prefabricated home builders in Canada,” according to the Liberals’ website. Ramping up prefabrication could result in cheaper, faster and better-quality homes, said Tony Yang, professor of structural and earthquake engineering at University of British Columbia. “We are building too slowly right now,” he said. “We are lacking skilled workers on site.” The goal of prefab is to shift manufacturing from construction sites, which he called relatively inefficient, onto production lines that operate more quickly through repetition. 

Read More

B.C. port foremen’s union and employers ratify 4-year deal

By Chuck Chiang
The Canadian Press in CBC News
June 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Maritime employers in British Columbia and the union representing port foremen say they have ratified a new four-year collective agreement, after a dispute that saw workers locked out of container terminals last year. The British Columbia Maritime Employers Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen Local 514 said in a joint statement that the new collective agreement extends from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2027. …It is the second major labour deal for Canada’s West Coast ports that will be in place until March 2027, after an earlier agreement with thousands of port workers that was signed in August 2023 following a strike. The details of the new deal with supervisors have not been released, and neither the employers association nor the union representing roughly 700 supervisors immediately responded to requests for comment. They had been without a deal since the last accord expired in March 2023.

Read More

Province, First Nations take next step to grow economy through partnerships, planning, conservation in northwestern B.C.

By Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
Government of British Columbia
June 3, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

In partnership with the Province, the Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, Kaska Dena, Gitanyow and Nisga’a Nations are kicking off land-use planning in the northwestern corner of B.C., engaging with industry, community and other partners to implement world-leading land-use plans that will provide greater certainty for investors, First Nations and communities alike. Last week, Premier David Eby outlined government’s vision for building prosperity centred on the pillars of economic growth, reconciliation and conservation in northwestern B.C. The vision includes partnering with First Nations to achieve large-scale conservation and strengthen reconciliation envisioned by the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA). …To that end, over the next year, the Province, Tahltan, Taku River Tlingit, Kaska Dena, Gitanyow and Nisga’a Nations will undertake expedited, inclusive land-use planning and essential stakeholder and public engagement. 

Read More

New Brunswick removes more interprovincial trade exceptions. The ability to cut and process Crown wood is not included

By Brad Perry
Country94.ca
June 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

Susan Holt

The New Brunswick government is taking more steps to try and improve trade between other provinces. The province announced that it was removing five more procurement-related interprovincial trade exceptions. …Premier Susan Holt said this is in addition to 10 other exceptions they have already removed or modified. …“Removing the exception means that their procurement will be open to competition from bidders from all over the place,” she added. With 15 trade exceptions now being removed or modified, the province still has 17 party-specific exceptions still in place. Holt said many of those are “sticky ones” that involve resource-related items such as Crown wood and the crab fishery. …“Where it’s natural resources that are critical to New Brunswick’s economy and identity, we’re not yet sure whether we want to remove the requirements to process and add value to those primary products in our province.”

Read More

Ontario Primary Forestry Council meets to build sector-wide solidarity

Unifor Canada
June 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

Forestry workers from across Northern Ontario gathered in Dryden, Ontario to discuss opportunities for the sector, challenges in their workplaces, hear from legal and pension experts, and from Unifor leadership on how the union is fighting for forestry jobs. Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi and Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier opened the meeting with a review of the work the union is doing to push all levels of government for an industrial strategy for forestry, and to advocate using Canadian lumber and lumber products to help build us out of the housing crisis. “Unifor has been front and centre in Canada’s response to U.S. tariffs—demanding that governments defend working people and hold corporations accountable,” said Hashi. “Forestry needs to be at the heart of Canada’s industrial strategy. And that strategy must be bold, forward-looking, and rooted in justice for workers.”

Read More

Provincial Government Announces Support for West Coast Truss Manufacturer

By Industry, Energy and Technology
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
June 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

An investment by the Provincial Government will support a Deer Lake-based company as it expands and upgrades its production of roof and floor trusses. The Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology, today announced a $240,000 loan from the Business Investment Program for Western Woodworks Incorporated. Western Woodworks Incorporated is a roof and floor truss manufacturing company that also sells engineered wood products and steel beams for residential, commercial, and agricultural projects of all sizes. The company is investing in new manufacturing equipment to expand and modernize its truss manufacturing production line in response to increased demand for its products. The loan will help the company leverage more than $1 million from other sources to complete the upgrades. The new equipment will increase efficiency, improve product quality, and reduce labor-intensive processes.

Read More

Kruger Products inaugurates new tissue plant in Sherbrooke, Québec

Kruger Inc.
June 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

SHERBROOKE, Québec — Kruger Products inaugurated its new LDC (light dry crepe) tissue plant in Sherbrooke, constructed on a site adjacent to its TAD plant. The construction of this new facility was part of a large-scale $377.5-million expansion project that included the construction of a double-wide tissue machine featuring LDC technology, as well as the installation of two new converting lines: a facial tissue line in the new plant and a bathroom tissue line in the TAD plant. The project created 205 direct jobs, increasing the number of new jobs at the Sherbrooke Operational Centre to 378 since 2020. …All told, this major project represents a historic investment of nearly $1 billion in the region since 2018 to create a major tissue product manufacturing hub in North America. This expansion project was supported by Investissement Québec, agent for the Government of Québec, who provided $165 million in loans.

Read More

Lumber producer Remabec cuts 1,000 jobs in Quebec, citing tariffs

By Mathieu Dion
Bloomberg News in the Financial Post
June 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

One of Canada’s lumber producers, Groupe Rémabec, will temporarily lay off most of its workers as the industry faces rising US duties and weakening demand. The manufacturing division, Arbec Forest Products, is shutting down indefinitely, leading to more than 1,000 immediate job cuts. The number may reach 1,400 in the coming weeks, according to a company statement that blamed “persistent imbalances in both access to the resource and international markets.” Groupe Rémabec employs about 2,000 people and is headquartered in La Tuque, Quebec, about 300 kilometers north of Montreal. President Trump’s administration is poised to more than double the duties on Canadian softwood lumber.  …Rémabec said, with Arbec’s deposits representing an “astronomical amount.” …Rémabec also said a “feeling of exasperation is widespread” in the Quebec forestry industry over regulations that have created “an increasingly unstable ecosystem, without predictability or coherence.” The Quebec government has been trying to modernize its forestry legislation.

Related coverage in the Globe & Mail: Groupe Rémabec scales back operation

Read More

US Senate restores $100 million in first legacy grants in the GOP tax and spending bill

By Marc Heller
E&E News by Politico
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

A program that protects privately owned forests for timber and other uses has survived in a megabill being put together in the Senate, after falling victim to House budget cutters in May. The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee saved the Forest Legacy Program in its piece of the big tax-cut and spending bill, refusing to cut off $100 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding. “This is a victory not only for forests, but for the families, economies, and ecosystems that depend on them,” said Lesley Kane Szynal, chair of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Coalition, an advocacy group, in a news release Thursday. The Forest Legacy Program pays for conservation easements and land purchases that prevent privately owned forests from being converted to other uses. In many cases, they’ve been used to keep timber operations in business while protecting forest watersheds and allowing for recreational access. [to access the full story an E&E News subscription is required]

Read More

Trump tariffs to remain in place pending appeal, court rules

By Sarah Fortinsky
The Hill
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

A federal appeals court on Tuesday agreed to let many of President Trump’s sweeping tariffs on US trade partners remain in effect for now, extending a pause issued late last month after a separate court ruled the tariffs were illegal. The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals granted the Trump administration’s request for a longer pause after issuing a temporary stay of the lower court ruling last month. The court put the case on a fast track to be resolved by the end of this summer, noting that “these cases present issues of exceptional importance warranting expedited en banc consideration of the merits in the first instance.” The decision comes after the US Court of International Trade ruled on May 28 that Congress did not delegate “unbounded” tariff authority to the president in the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. Trump appealed the ruling and, hours later, the appeals court granted the temporary stay.

Related coverage in:

Read More

US, China reach deal to ease export curbs, keep tariff truce alive

By Kate Holton, Alistair Smout and Andrea Shalal
Reuters
June 11, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

LONDON — US and Chinese officials said on Tuesday they had agreed on a framework to get their trade truce back on track and remove China’s export restrictions on rare earths while offering little sign of a durable resolution to longstanding trade tensions. …Lutnick said the agreement would remove restrictions on Chinese exports of rare earth minerals and magnets and some of the recent US export restrictions “in a balanced way”, but did not provide details…. adding that both sides will now return to present the framework to their respective presidents for approvals. …The two sides left Geneva with fundamentally different views of the terms of that agreement and needed to be more specific on required actions, said Josh Lipsky. …They have until August 10 to negotiate a more comprehensive agreement, or tariff rates will snap back from about 30% to 145% on the U.S. side and from 10% to 125% on the Chinese side.

Related coverage in:

Read More

Wood importers group meets with Vietnamese delegation

By Rich Christianson
The Woodworking Network
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON — Representatives of the International Wood Products Association (IWPA) met June 7 with a delegation from Vietnam’s Administration of Forestry to discuss sustainable trade in wood products. They explored opportunities to deepen cooperation and advance the shared goal of promoting legal and sustainable timber trade. The discussions included an exchange of policy updates, trade priorities, and areas for future cooperation. Ashley Amidon, CEO of the IWPA, delivered a presentation offering insight into recent developments in U.S. trade policy and underscoring the importance of responsible sourcing and transparent supply chains. Dr. Tran Quang Bao, director general of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry, highlighted the Vietnamese government’s recent efforts to promote legal and sustainable trade, including the implementation of a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the EU, a timber agreement with the US and preparations for the EU recent regulation on deforestation free (EUDR).

Read More

Lessons in Forest Service regs await nominee

E&E News
June 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States

The Trump administration’s nominee to oversee the Forest Service may soon be faced with navigating the agency’s environmental regulations from both sides: as an affected property owner and as the boss of the employees enforcing them. Mike Boren, the Trump administration’s pick for undersecretary for natural resources and environment, will likely have to work through the Forest Service’s environmental procedures to resolve a disagreement about a geothermal stream that one of his ranches in Idaho tapped for heating purposes, if he’s confirmed by the Senate. That’s the assessment of current and former Forest Service employees who described the rules to POLITICO’s E&E News, granted anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak with reporters or still work with the agency in other capacities.

Read More

Will recent mergers in the global pulp and paper industry partly offset trade tensions?

By Simon Matthis
PulpaperNews.com
June 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, International

While the pulp and paper industry is inherently local—particularly in terms of production and sourcing of raw materials—trade is fundamentally cross-border and international. As a result, the sector is highly exposed to trade barriers and tensions, such as those created by the tariff policies introduced during the Trump administration. Tariffs are expected to put significant pressure on transportation and logistics—sectors that are intrinsically linked to the pulp and paper industry. This strain is partly mitigated by the fact that many pulp and paper companies have made substantial investments in overseas production capacity. Recent mergers in the industry, such as the Smurfit Kappa–WestRock merger and the International Paper–DS Smith merger, are also likely to offset some of the negative impacts of tariffs. These newly formed giants now operate production facilities in both Europe and the US. …This consolidation trend may render the pulp and paper industry more resilient. 

Read More

Boise Cascade Names Rob Johnson Senior VP of Manufacturing for Wood Products

By Boise Cascade
Businesswire
June 13, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US West

Rob Johnson

BOISE, Idaho — Boise Cascade announced that Rob Johnson is stepping into a new role as Senior VP of Manufacturing for their Wood Products division, effective June 16, 2025. This move will backfill the role previously filled by Chris Seymour, who left the organization earlier in June. In this role, Rob will oversee the operations for the company’s 18+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. He will continue to report to Troy Little, Executive VP of Wood Products. …Rob joined Boise Cascade in 2014. Most recently, he was the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Engineered Wood Products. Rob holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Oregon. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Read More

Impending duty hikes on Canada lumber should help mills here

By Chris Peterson
Hungry Horse News
June 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: US West

Duties placed on Canadian lumber entering the U.S. could eventually help markets here, a local mill manager is saying, but they are still a few months out. There’s a misconception that recent tariffs announced against Canadian goods extended to lumber products, F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber vice president and general manager Paul McKenzie said Monday. The U.S.-Canada lumber market is governed under a separate and oft disputed softwood agreement that places duties on Canadian lumber. The duties are supposed to keep Canadians from dumping government subsidized lumbers onto U.S. markets. They currently amount to about 14% combined. By August or September, they’re expected to climb to 34%, McKenzie noted. That will be helpful to us,” McKenzie said. Stoltze has operated its independent mill in Columbia Falls, Montana over 100 years. McKenzie said Canadians are currently dumping their products into the U.S. ahead of the hike in duties. 

Read More

Crews respond to fire at Pixelle Specialty Solutions in York County, Pennsylvania

By Joshua Feldstein
Fox News 43
June 9, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

YORK COUNTY, Pennsylvania — A fire occurred at Pixelle Specialty Solutions, a paper mill in Spring Grove Borough, York County, at about 3 a.m., on Monday, June 9. An officer with York County Regional Police confirmed that there are no injuries associated with the fire, and that the facility was minimally staffed, but everyone was evacuated. The incident is now in the cleanup phase of the investigation, but is no longer active, according to police. Ross Bushnell, President & CEO, issued a statement about the incident. …”Early this morning, a small fire occurred at Pixelle’s Spring Grove facility. Our team responded quickly and followed established safety protocols, containing the fire before emergency crews arrived. Multiple local departments responded, and all cleared the scene by 5 a.m.  

Read More

Domtar awaits permits to kickstart anaerobic digester project

By Allison Winters
The TimesNews
June 4, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

KINGSPORT, Tennessee — It could be the third or fourth quarter of 2026 before an anaerobic digester is completed to help with odor mitigation at the Kingsport mill, Domtar officials shared Tuesday. Charlie Floyd, VP of strategic capital projects for Domtar, and Bonnie Depew, environmental manager at Domtar’s Kingsport mill, presented updates about Project Bandit to the Kingsport Economic Development Board. Floyd said the biggest holdup is waiting on permits from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. TDEC has already asked for two extensions to review the permit application, state records show. …His hope is for the permit to be in the hands of Domtar by the end of the month. Over 80% of the equipment for the anaerobic digester has been purchased, according to Floyd. …At the height of construction, Floyd said there will be around 150 contractors on site to help build the digester and associated equipment.

Read More

The Chair of the Board of Directors of Metsä Board Corporation changes

Metsä Board Corporation
June 12, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

FINLAND — The Chair of the Board of Directors of Metsä Board Corporation Ilkka Hämälä announced that he will resign from his position on the Board of Directors as of 1 July 2025. Hämälä became the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Company as well as the President and CEO of Metsä Group in 2018. …The Board of Directors of Metsä Board has today elected from among themselves Jussi Vanhanen, who will become the President and CEO of Metsä Group on 1 July 2025, to become the new Chair of the Board of Directors as of 1 July 2025. Vanhanen has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Company since March 2025, a member of the Board of Directors of Metsäliitto Cooperative from 2022 to 2025, and CEO of Metsäliitto Cooperative since 1 May 2025.

Read More

Softwood to take centre stage at International Softwood Conference in Norway

By Stephen Powney
The Timber Trades Journal
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

Timber industry consultant Stephen Sabine will give a UK market outlook at the International Softwood Conference (ISC) in Norway later this year. Mr Sabine, of JAM Timber Consulting and formerly a director of Consolidated Timber Holdings will highlight market dynamics in the UK covering softwood. …The conference part takes place on October 23. The European Organisation of the Sawmilling Industry and European Timber Trade Federation will cover European softwood developments from both a producer and user perspective. Paul Jannke, FEA, will explain the market in the US and Canada, while Fredrik Westling of Forssell Timber will tell delegates about the softwood sector in Japan. Setra’s Olle Berg will cover the Chinese market. …For more information visit ISC2025.

Read More

EU targets Chinese plywood in latest defence of domestic industries

By Andy Bounds
The Financial Times
June 10, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

The EU has imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese plywood imports, just a few days after Beijing tried to ease trade tensions between the two. The provisional levies of up to 62.4% follow a surge in imports of hardwood plywood over the past three years that had damaged domestic producers, the European Commission said. The Greenwood Consortium of EU producers, which brought a complaint against Chinese competitors last year, said it welcomed the move but argued for “definitive duties to be even higher than these provisional levels” when the commission makes a final decision later this year. Brussels has also taken the unusual step of monitoring imports of softwood plywood, which is not subject to duties, after allegations that Chinese exporters were disguising hardwood products in anticipation of the levies. …“The alleged practice consisted of placing very thin outer layers of softwood veneer on top of the hardwood plywood face veneer.

Read More

New EU deforestation rules progress, despite New Zealand opposition

By Monique Steele
The New Zealand Herald
June 5, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: International

New Zealand exporters sending wood, beef and leather products to the European Union will soon have to comply with new rules that aim to reduce deforestation in the supply chain. New Zealand government officials and industry opposed the approach to anti-deforestation taken by the incoming European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). This was due to increased compliance costs exporters would face in proving their products had not contributed to the loss of trees. …For New Zealand, this will affect the $213 million export trade. Exporters of wood products – a trade to Europe valued at around $100 million – would be required to provide traceability processes to show that their products did not contribute to deforestation, too. …The Wood Processors and Manufacturers’ Association’s Mark Ross, said a working group with forest growers, wood processors, and the Government had been set up to work through some issues, such as geolocation requirements.

Read More