Premier David Eby said the province has been pushing for Ottawa to re-start the Ports Canada Police, which was disbanded in 1997. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority also ended its funding for the Waterfront Joint Forces Operation team of the RCMP in 2015. “We have called repeatedly for port police to ensure what comes into British Columbia is not contraband,” said Eby. …The call was echoed by B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad, who is urging Eby to immediately recall the legislature to push through provincial funding for a dedicated port police unit and then send Ottawa the bill. Rustad said local police departments and RCMP detachments simply don’t have the capacity or resources to deal with the sheer volume and variety of goods that come into B.C. via shipping containers. …A 2019 report found only one per cent of the shipping containers at the port in Delta were being checked.
VANCOUVER — Western Forest Products announced that the Company and the United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 (USW) have agreed to the terms of a tentative collective agreement. The USW represents approximately 1,000 Western employees. The tentative agreement is subject to a ratification vote by USW membership, which is expected to occur before the end of the year. The USW bargaining committee has advised that they will be recommending that its members accept this agreement. …Steven Hofer, President and CEO of Western Forest Products said, “A new collective agreement will provide critical business certainty to the Company as we look to accelerate the transition to higher value products through reinvestment in our operations. I want to thank the bargaining team members for their work to deliver a fair and balanced agreement.”
President-elect Donald Trump plans to implement a 25% tariff on all products from Mexico and Canada to target drugs, particularly fentanyl, and illegal immigration… Trump’s announcement of his plans has spurred questions about what tariffs mean for American consumers, as well as the products that may face additional fees. Oil and “billions worth of wood and paper” are imported from Canada to America, USA TODAY reported. …Congress has the authority to make U.S. tariff policy, and the legislative branch usually set tariff rates before the 1930s… However, Congress has “delegated extensive tariff-setting authority to the President” for decades. Through certain statutes, the president can impose or adjust tariffs, such as adjusting tariffs on imports that threaten U.S. national security or raise tariff rates when the U.S. International Trade Commission finds that an import surge has injured an American industry, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Vietnam’s wood processing and export industry is on track to surpass its 2024 export target of 15.2 billion USD, navigating through complicated market developments with strategic adaptability. Statistics from the General Department of Vietnam Customs showed that Vietnam’s wood export turnover in the first 11 months of 2024 was estimated at over 14.6 billion USD. Industry experts said seeing the market’s robust recovery signs, enterprises have proactively outlined production plans and sought new markets. According to Vice Chairman of the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Chanh Phuong, the US now accounts for 54% of the Vietnamese wood exports. …Chairman of the Binh Duong Furniture Association Nguyen Liem highlighted the efforts of local firms to bolster shipments, including making innovative product designs that are attracting international customers and pivoting to e-commerce channels, demonstrating flexibility in their sales strategies.