BURNABY, BC — The United Steelworkers union welcomes Premier David Eby and the Government of BC’s decision to expedite major projects, representing an investment of approximately $20 billion, and for establishing a council to advocate for forest workers in the face of existing and pending duties and tariffs. The strategic move to advance critical mineral and energy products not only boosts the province’s economic resilience, but also ensures job security for USW members. …By accelerating these projects, the province is taking proactive steps to mitigate external economic pressures and reinforce that B.C. is a key leader in the sector. The advisory council to deal with potential impacts of increased duties and possible additive tariffs on lumber exports to the U.S. is equally important. The USW is pleased to be included in the council, which is working to get rid of the softwood duties.

MANITOBA — While he says a delay in possible U.S. tariffs is good news, a Manitoba lumber business owner says he’s been fielding questions about their impact from his locations — and he doesn’t expect that to stop. “Do we need to take this window now that we have with this pause and try to bulk up inventory as much as possible?” LumberZone owner Joel Hartung said Wednesday. …He’s also recently had inquiries from customers asking him to order materials now and keep them in stock for a few months before purchasing. “Lots of people are wanting to … lock in pricing for the project later, but they don’t necessarily want to pay for it or are unable to take delivery [immediately],” he said. “It puts a lot of stress on our cash flow and just our inventory management.”

If US President Trump carries out his threat to introduce tariffs next month, expect even more forest companies to leave the province, forestry experts say. …“Tariffs aren’t new, but in terms of the impact on our members, it’s terrible,” said Jeff Bromley, Wood Council chair for the United Steelworkers union. Bromley said the tariffs make it harder for forestry companies to make a profit on exports to the United States and thus harder for members to continue to earn a living in their communities. …Statistics Canada data shows that since the turn of the century, Canada has lost about 30,000 forestry sector jobs — about a third of which were in B.C. Christopher Gaston, an associate professor at the University of British Columbia… said “I can’t imagine any BC company will be able to ship lumber for any kind of a profit; it would be at a loss,” he said. “The big mills will close down.”

Robert Tsumura

Kermode Forest Products has been shipping custom-cut wood products to Asia for three decades. With 25 per cent U.S. tariffs still a possibility despite a 30-day reprieve… Asian markets provide … a little peace of mind. …B.C. Premier David Eby says diversification is one of the strategies the province will use to combat the threat to the local economy. But that is not necessarily an easy undertaking, says Robert Tsumura, one of the company’s two partners. …but globalization and increased international trade has meant more competition. About half of Japan’s wood now comes from Europe, he said. …Nicolas Schmitt, an economics professor at Simon Fraser University noted that when trading with a country such as Japan, there can also be cultural, language and contractual barriers of the kind you wouldn’t see with the U.S. The province can help by having trade missions and offices in those countries to help match buyers and sellers, he said.

WEST KELOWNA — Gorman Bros. Lumber knows how to weather an economic storm. For the better part of 50 years the sawmill has been fraught with tariffs or quota restrictions brought on by trade issues with the United States. “We don’t think it’s justified,” said Nick Arkle, CEO of operations. …Arkle fears that [Trump’s] approach to getting what he wants from Canada could seriously harm an already struggling industry. …In speaking with customers, the discussion is currently about how that tariff will be passed down to the end user. How long or how much the market can absorb, however, remains to be seen. …Gorman’s started diversifying everything from its customer base to the products they provide in the years that have passed — a strategy that more are discussing in recent days. Arkle estimated that 50 per cent of what it produces from its higher value products are US bound.

David Elstone

Canadian lumber exports to the U.S. have been a source of conflict between the two countries for over a century – but the latest threat – potential 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods, including B.C. lumber, has the industry on edge once again. American duties are set to increase from 14 per cent now to 30 per cent later this year, so the recent and ongoing threat of a 25 per cent tariff as well has the industry on edge. …That’s because of Canada’s huge reliance on the U.S. market for its lumber alone, not to mention other products like pulp or veneer. …“When we think about exporting to Asia or other places, you know, you can’t just take 12 billion board feet and send it somewhere else, so it definitely is a concer,” said industry analyst David Elstone, managing director of the Spar Tree Group and publisher of the View from the Stump newsletter.