BC’s forest industry welcomed the Conservative election victory, while environmental groups raised concerns over old-growth. In other Business news: Canada and the US resumed discussions on tariffs; Prime Minister Mark Carney is willing to move beyond the Indian Act; the Valemount Specialty Mill closes temporarily; Clearwater Paper reported a Q3, 2026 loss; and the US launched antidumping investigations into corrugated boxes. Meanwhile: global growth holds its ground; lumber futures hit a 25-month low; and home construction is delayed.
In Wood Products news: the US EPA expanded formaldehyde testing options for composite panels; Stora Enso partnered on lignin-based battery materials; and the UK launched a designTimber webinar series. In Forestry news: BC wildland firefighters seek federal recognition; Canadian researchers developed an AI tool for wildfire hazard mapping; the US announced disaster funds for Georgian forests; USFS staffing uncertainty raises concerns in Arizona; Brazil’s election begets hope for the Amazon; and Mexico reported dismantling 123 illegal sawmills.
Finally: Australia’s John Raison says native forestry isn’t the carbon villain critics claim.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
OTTAWA/WASHINGTON – The United States and Canada are working on a deal to ease US tariffs on Canadian steel and autos, two US and four Canadian sources said, as the two governments try to repair relations that soured after trade talks broke down in August. The talks focus on tariffs imposed under Section 232 of US trade law, including up to 50% tariff on Canadian steel and a 25% tariff on autos, with negotiators discussing potential relief from those duties. …One Canadian source briefed on the negotiations said a deal on steel and auto tariffs was possible before the November 3 elections, while US sources said the Trump administration wanted Canada to make further concessions. …The US Trade Representative’s Office and Canada have also been in contact in recent days regarding the overall architecture of any deal and all other trade issues, a USTR official said.
The US Department of Commerce has initiated antidumping investigations into imports of corrugated die-cut cardboard boxes, primarily pizza boxes, from China, Malaysia and Türkiye. The investigations follow petitions filed by the American Pizza Boxes Manufacturers Coalition, comprising Smurfit Westrock and Pratt Industries, and the United Steelworkers union. Petitioners allege that imported boxes are being sold in the US at less than fair value, harming domestic manufacturers. Estimated dumping margins range from 96.62% to 568.50% for China, 110.73% for Malaysia, and 120.65% to 210.37% for Türkiye. The investigations will determine whether dumping is occurring and could result in additional import duties. The US International Trade Commission must separately determine whether the imports are injuring or threatening the domestic industry.
Lumber decreased to 514.00 USD/1000 board feet, the lowest since September 2024. Over the past 4 weeks, Lumber lost 2.91%, and in the last 12 months, it decreased 10.33%.
Before the first nail can be hammered for a new house, a different kind of labor is required: dealing with paperwork. The amount of time required to obtain permits varies wildly across the United States. Navigating the bureaucracy in one city can take longer than the time needed to complete the entire project in another. That’s the finding in a 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has 
As Canada’s 2026 wildfire season closed having scorched roughly 4.5 million hectares and forced 33,750 people from their homes — making it the country’s fourth-worst fire season on record — researchers in Montréal and Ottawa announced an AI tool that compresses months of hazard computation into hours. On October 23, Mila — the Québec Artificial Intelligence Institute — and the forestry division of Natural Resources Canada jointly announced an AI emulator designed to slot into Canada’s existing wildfire hazard workflow as a radically faster alternative to BurnP3+, the country’s established physics-based simulator. Depending on the hardware it runs on, the model operates between 800 and 3,400 times faster than BurnP3+, according to 
Mexico’s armed forces have dismantled more than 123 clandestine sawmills and detained 116 suspected illegal loggers over the government’s first two years, Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said on Tuesday, Mexican newspaper La Razón 
