At International Pulp Week in Vancouver, ERA’s Kevin Mason opened with a stark assessment of geopolitical fragmentation and global trade, while Suzano’s Rodrigo Marchi examined shifting hardwood pulp markets and Numera Analytics’ Joaquín Kritz Lara warned of mounting energy shocks tied to Middle East conflict [the event continues with Tree Frog featuring speakers daily]. In other Business news: Kruger to enter nonwovens sector with new line in Trois-Rivières, Quebec; Minister visits Dunkely Lumber’s Saskatchewan mill; Doman reports Q1, 2026 net earnings; and the US seeks to pause court ruling against 10% global tariff.
In other news: BC sees export growth potential in Middle East markets; a Biomass Magazine feature on new potential markets for pellets; COFI secures FII support for forest education; Forsite branches out with with Flyscan partnership; Alberta tests Autonomous Trucking Tech for the forest sector; the US repeal of Public Lands Rule gets pushback; and the US Intertribal Timber Council is shut out of EUDR relief package.
Finally, and sadly, former Rustad Bros. president and BC forest industry leader Jim Rustad has died at 88.
Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor
Rodrigo Marchi, Managing Director for the Americas at Suzano, framed his presentation around a central commercial argument: that eucalyptus-based hardwood pulp has moved well beyond its historical role as a cost-reduction tool and is now a performance fibre capable of helping customers compete on product quality.
Building Canada Strong with Canadian Forestry. If Canada is going to capitalize on this moment to build a stronger, more resilient economy, we need to ACT NOW, controlling what we can control and empowering the Canadian sectors that will allow us to shape our own economic destiny. …And as a globally-recognized leader in how we manage our forests, we have a lot to offer the world. But we’re currently weathering a perfect storm — a 45% wall of U.S. tariffs on top of duplicative regulatory inefficiencies here at home. While we have no control over the former, we can control the latter. And government can help. They’ve already identified the known friction points in their “Comprehensive Red Tape Review”. Now we need them to act. By fixing these Made-In Canada Barriers, they can empower sectors like forestry to fortify and diversify our country’s economy while maintaining the high environmental standards that help keep our forests as forests forever. You can EMAIL YOUR MP and call on them to ensure the findings of their Red Tape Review are actioned. 
On Friday, Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry visited Dunkley Lumber’s Carrot River sawmill, a key facility in Saskatchewan’s forestry industry. Minister Beaudry held discussions with senior officials from the company. “Saskatchewan’s forestry industry is a cornerstone of economic activity in the north, generating thousands of jobs and contributing to strong, vibrant communities,” Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry said. “The Government of Saskatchewan is committed to working with industry partners to strengthen the forestry industry and grow the responsible development of our natural resources.” Dunkley’s Carrot River facility is the largest sawmill in the province, with the company employing more than 400 people combined… In 2024, Dunkley completed a $220 million expansion to the Carrot River sawmill, which increased the facility’s capacity by 75 per cent. “Saskatchewan continues to distinguish itself as one of the most attractive jurisdictions in North America for lumber manufacturing,” Dunkley Lumber Fibre and Sustainability Vice President Dyon Armstrong said. 
In 2008, the B.C. government agreed to provide the Musqueam First Nation with land and money to settle a dispute over the prospective sale of the University of B.C. golf course lands. …As part of a deal valued at $250 million, which involved several parcels of land, including the golf course, and cash, the Musqueam received nearly 14 hectares adjacent to their community south of Marine Drive along the north arm of the Fraser River. …The Musqueam have been in discussions with the province about adding more land, possibly from Pacific Spirit Regional Park, show communications disclosed through a freedom of information request. …Many First Nations in the Metro Vancouver-Fraser Valley-Squamish-Sunshine Coast region are using their existing and newly obtained land holdings for economic development, which can also provide economic benefits outside their communities. …The Squamish Nation has plans for 11 towers and 6,000 units on the portion of lands returned from those taken away from them at False Creek in 1913, 
President Trump said federal agencies “must buy American”, doubling down on his push to prioritize the use of products manufactured, developed and produced in the US. …Government agencies are generally required to buy American-made products under the Buy American Act of 1933, which mandates that federal agencies acquire domestic end products for public use. However, there are several exceptions to the law including unreasonable cost, product unavailability and if domestic preference would be inconsistent with the public interest. Trump has long criticized government agencies for signing too many waivers. In a March executive order entitled “Ensuring Truthful Advertising of Products Claiming To Be Made in America,” Trump pushed forward efforts to crack down on false claims of American-made products.
US President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday asked a US court to pause its ruling against the administration’s 10% global tariff while the federal government pursues an appeal. Last week, the US Court of International Trade ruled that the president’s 10% temporary global duties were unjustified under a 1970s trade law. But the court only blocked the levies for two private importers and the state of Washington. The court ruled that Trump’s imposition of the tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 was misguided. In February, Trump imposed the so-called global tariff of 10 per cent after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down some tariffs the U.S. president had implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. CUSMA-compliant Canadian exports heading to the U.S. were exempt from the global tariff.
Delivered in partnership with COFI member companies, Indigenous organizations, school districts, training providers, and community partners, these initiatives are designed to increase awareness of the many career opportunities available in today’s forest sector. Through guided mill tours, classroom presentations, field tours, and career fairs, participants will gain direct exposure to local forestry operations and the technologies driving the industry, including advanced manufacturing, automation, and digital systems. 
WASHINGTON — The Intertribal Timber Council (ITC) expressed deep disappointment following the European Commission’s release of its EUDR simplification review, saying the package offers no meaningful relief for Indigenous Tribal Nations and leaves major concerns raised by Tribal forest managers unresolved. Despite months of engagement from Tribal representatives and repeated warnings about unintended impacts on Indigenous communities, the Commission declined to reopen the regulation and instead proposed only limited technical adjustments through implementing acts, FAQs, and guidance documents. As a result, compliance obligations affecting Tribal Nations in low-risk countries remain fundamentally unchanged. …US Tribal Nations manage 7.8 million hectares of forestland under sovereign governance systems. …The ITC is calling on the European Commission to recognize Tribal forests in the United States as low-risk, legally protected systems.
The Bureau of Land Management has repealed the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, commonly referred to as the Public Lands Rule, which put conservation on equal footing with mining, logging, and grazing of public lands. The rule required science-based decision-making, conservation considerations within multiple land uses and a focus on sustaining public lands for the long-term benefit of wildlife and the American people. “Today’s repeal of the Public Lands Rule abandons progress at the same moment climate change, chronic drought and accelerating habitat loss demand better stewardship from BLM,” said Maddy Munson, senior planning and policy specialist for federal lands at Defenders of Wildlife. …“This fits a pattern of brazen attempts to sell off and sell out our shared public lands at the expense of public access and conservation,” added Beau Kiklis, associate director of energy and landscape conservation at the National Parks Conservation Association.
LAKE TAHOE BASIN, Calif. – A yearlong investigation by Mother Jones is casting new scrutiny on the use of glyphosate in California forests at the same time the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit plans to use the controversial herbicide across thousands of acres in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Glyphosate, commonly sold under the brand name Roundup, is widely used to kill shrubs and hardwood vegetation that compete with replanted conifers after fires and logging operations. However, the herbicide has long been controversial. In 2015, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a “probable carcinogen,” and manufacturer Bayer has paid more than $12 billion in settlements tied to lawsuits alleging the herbicide caused cancer.
Many US pellet exporters are evaluating new potential markets abroad to diversify their portfolios and adjust to evolving policy landscapes. At the same time, other countries around the world are increasing production and use of wood pellets as a coal replacement for power generation, as well as renewable heating option for residential heating systems and industrial utilization. From Vietnam to smaller markets such as Poland, global wood pellet production continues to grow. …US manufacturers produced over 11 million tons of wood pellets in 2025, including premium and utility pellets. A majority of that volume was exported—an estimated total of 9.37 million tons last year. Globally, pellet producers are experiencing a tug of war between increased biomass use due to decarbonization efforts and increased scrutiny from programs such as the European Union Deforestation Regulation and other countries’ evolving policy mechanisms. …Finding new substantial markets for US pellets may prove to be a challenge. 
Safety Starts Here: June 9-10, 2026, Prince George, BC | The Wood Pellet Association of Canada’s (WPAC’s) 2026 Wood Pellet and Bioenergy Safety Summit is rapidly approaching. The Summit offers valuable opportunities to learn, share and strengthen safety practices across the industry. Join industry leaders, safety professionals and regulators to discuss rotary drum dryer safety, process safety management (PSM) and emerging safety initiatives. Participate in a hands-on musculoskeletal injury (MSI) workshop and a full-day mental health workshop, giving you tools to support the physical and psychological well-being of yourself and your colleagues. Hosted by WPAC’s Safety Committee, in collaboration with the BC Forest Safety Council, WorkSafe BC and media partner Canadian Biomass, the Summit focuses on practical, real-world safety challenges facing the sector today. Whether your role is in safety leadership, operations, maintenance, or workforce health, the WPAC Safety Summit provides valuable opportunities to learn, connect, and contribute to safer workplaces across the sector.
Residents of Woodlands County impacted by a wildfire south of Highway 43, east of