Daily News for October 21, 2025

Today’s Takeaway

US-Canada trade deal may be ready by month end—without lumber

The Tree Frog Forestry News
October 21, 2025
Category: Today's Takeaway

A US-Canada trade deal may be ready by month end—without lumber and autos. In related news: Northern Ontario forestry remains in peril despite Kap Paper bailout; Trump’s tariffs put Canadian cabinet-makers and US cabinet-importers in jeopardy; and lawmakers in Georgia and Arkansas are seeking tariff relief. Meanwhile: the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association honoured Scott Yates with a distinguished service award; and Ontario’s Building Show 2025 explores the future of wood-based construction.

In Forestry news: the European Union plans to shorten by half its deforestation regulation delay; NGOs seek repeal of Protect Ontario By Unleashing Our Economy Act; forest development projects continue despite US government shutdown; and a BC MLA is outraged by cutting permit delays; while ENGOs seek biodiversity legislation.

Finally, winter is coming—does your safety program cover winter driving?

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

Read More

Business & Politics

US-Canada trade deal may be ready for approval at APEC summit

Reuters
October 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

A U.S.-Canada trade deal on steel, aluminium and energy could be ready for Prime Minister Mark Carney and US President Donald Trump to sign at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit later this month in South Korea, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Tuesday. The White House, US Commerce Department and Carney’s office did not respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours. The US, however, is not ready to make any deal on Canadian automobiles or softwood lumber, the report added. Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminium and autos earlier this year, prompting Canada to respond in kind. Negotiations ensued on lifting the measures against steel and aluminium. Canada will probably have to accept quotas on steel in exchange for a lower U.S. tariff, with critical minerals off the table in these talks, sources told the Globe and Mail.

Also from the Globe & Mail (for subscribers): US-Canada trade deal possible by month end

Read More

Northern Ontario forestry remains in peril despite Kap Paper bailout, say union, northern leaders

Northern Ontario Business
October 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

Friday was a good news, bad news day for Northern Ontario’s forest products sector. Folks in Kapukasing are breathing easier…the federal and provincial governments announced they’re contributing a total investment of $28.8 million to sustain the Kapuskasing paper mill for the short term. Broken down, the province is spending $16.8 million, while the feds are chipping in $12 million. …However, forestry’s shaky conditions have put another community in peril [with] Interfor indefinitely shutting down its Ear Falls sawmill. …Unifor is calling for immediate action involving all levels of government to develop an industrial strategy for the forestry sector… The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities issued a joint statement that “urgent and coordinated action is required to ensure long-term stability across Northern Ontario’s forestry and resource sectors.” The best outcome, the group said, is for government to strike a long-term trade deal with the U.S. to ensure economic and employment stability.

Read More

Ontario’s unsettled forestry sector discussed at the provincial legislature

By Clint Fleury
Thunder Bay News Watch
October 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada East

THUNDER BAY – Ontario’s MPPs are officially back at Queen’s Park for a new sitting of the provincial legislature, after breaking for the summer and forestry was top of mind for the region’s leaders.  Opposition member Sol Mamakwa, MPP for Kiiwetinoong, questioned the Ford government on how they plan to help 160 unionized workers affected by the shutdown at the sawmill in Ear Falls. “Our government is disappointed of the news coming from Ear Falls. Immediately following the announcement of the mill, the premier and I reached out to company officials and Mayor (Kevin) Kahoot offering support for the workers and the community,” Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products Kevin Holland said. …The tariff hike contributed to ongoing market challenges in the sector forcing Interforb to suspend operations at the sawmill indefinitely.

Read More

Building materials group, NLBMDA, honors Scott Yates with Distinguished Lifetime Service Award

By Larry Adams
The Woodworking Network
October 21, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Scott Yates

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association  honored Scott Yates, president of the Denver Lumber Company, with its Distinguished Lifetime Service Award, during the annual ProDealer Industry Summit held in Louisville, Kentucky. The award has only been presented on four previous occasions. …“Scott’s leadership is deeply rooted in his genuine care for people and the industry he’s devoted his life to,” said NLBMDA president and CEO Jonathan Paine.” …The NLBMDA Distinguished Lifetime Service Award is presented in recognition of individuals who have demonstrated dedicated service and made outstanding contributions toward advancing the mission and goals of the National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association. It celebrates those who have significantly impacted both the association and the broader lumber and building materials industry.

Read More

Georgia lawmakers asking Congress to open timber trade with Asia

By Kim Jarrett
The Center Square
October 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Jon Burns

State House speakers from five Southern states are asking Congress to alleviate pressure on the timber industry by reopening the Asian market. The letter said recent changes in the market, uncertainty in trade policy and regulatory barriers contributed to the closure of mills in the South. Five mills have closed in southern Georgia in recent months. International Paper announced in August that it was closing two mills in Riceboro and two in Savannah at the end of September. Georgia-Pacific closed its paper mill in Cedar Springs at the end of July. …Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns said, “Across the Southeast, this vital industry has been impacted by shifting markets, nontariff barriers to trade and global economic uncertainty.” …”Pushing for the current administration to work towards reopening the Asian market for US logs and chips through ongoing trade negotiations is crucial for increasing demand in the short-term for U.S. forest products,” they said.

Read More

Speaker Evans adds signature to letter urging Congressional leaders to support forestry relief efforts

By Neal Earley
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette
October 20, 2025
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

Brian Evans

Arkansas House Speaker Brian Evans – along with colleagues in four other states – signed onto a letter calling for Congressional action to save the forestry industry in the Southeast. …Among the policy requests was for a 90-day notice before any tariffs that effect the US forestry take effect, claiming recent tariffs from the Trump Administration have given little time to plan for US exporters. “Under current US trade policy, products and shipments from U.S. exporters are becoming stuck en route. Additionally, the letter calls on Congressional support for the European Union to overturn its ban on Sulfuryl Fluoride, a pesticide used to fumigate Southern Yellow Pine wood chips. In 2024, the European Union opted to not renew it, citing concerns over risks to human health and the environment. …Lastly, the letter calls for the Transshipment Clause, to ensure products made with US forestry products that are imported into the US can claim a tariff exemption.

Read More

Finance & Economics

Canada’s Raw Materials Price Index Rose 1.7% in September

Statistics Canada
October 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Prices of products manufactured in Canada, as measured by the Industrial Product Price Index (IPPI), increased 0.8% month over month in September and gained 5.5% year over year. Meanwhile, prices of raw materials purchased by manufacturers operating in Canada, as measured by the Raw Materials Price Index (RMPI), increased 1.7% month over month and rose 8.4% year over year. …Prices for lumber and other wood products declined 4.4% in September, after two straight monthly increases. The decrease was caused by falling softwood lumber prices (-10.7%), the largest decrease since June 2022. In August 2025, the United States announced a significant increase to the duties it levies on Canadian softwood lumber.

Read More

Canada Opens $700M Loan Program for Lumber Industry Hit by US Tariffs

By JP Alegre
The Deep Dive
October 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

The Canadian government has opened applications for a $700 million loan guarantee program that helps lumber companies weather mounting US tariffs that have pushed some firms into bankruptcy. The Business Development Bank of Canada announced the program’s launch Wednesday, allowing softwood lumber businesses to access up to $20 million per ownership group in financing and letters of credit through their primary financial institutions. …The cascading trade penalties have forced several forestry operations into bankruptcy protection, including British Columbia’s Teal-Jones Group and San Industries Ltd. The US market absorbs roughly 90% of Canadian lumber exports, leaving the industry vulnerable to American trade actions. …The trade conflict over softwood lumber stretches back more than 40 years, making it one of the most enduring commercial disputes between the neighboring countries.

Read More

Lumber Futures Drop Amid Weak US Housing Market and Tariff Measures

Trading Economics
October 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, United States

Lumber futures fell below $610 per thousand board feet, their lowest level since October 8 and down 12% from a three-year high in early August, as a slowing US housing market outweighed potential supply curbs from tariffs. August building permits dropped to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 1.33 million, the lowest since May 2020, while housing starts fell 8.5%, marking the fourth-lowest reading in over five years. Earlier this month, the US imposed a 10% tariff on Canadian lumber, with the Trump administration stating it aims to expand domestic timber harvesting and reduce reliance on foreign lumber. Looking ahead, expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could stimulate construction and home buying and encourage homeowners to borrow for repairs and renovations, the largest driver of lumber demand. However, signs of a slowing labor market and rising inflation suggest demand may remain subdued.

Read More

Canadian cabinet and furniture makers warn of ‘blood bath’ as Trump tariffs bite

By Mark Rendell
The Globe and Mail
October 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada

Alain Ouzilleau, owner of Groupe Cabico, spent millions upgrading his two factories in Quebec and Ontario into state-of-the-art facilities shipping around $100-million worth of high-end kitchen cabinets to the US each year. Almost overnight, that business has been thrown into jeopardy. …“We have very long-term loyal customers,” Mr. Ouzilleau said. “But the 50% that is planned to be effective January 1st is just a death sentence.” …Hundreds of other Canadian cabinet and furniture makers also stand to lose their key export business, with limited ability to expand in a crowded domestic market. …What started as tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles has expanded to include copper and lumber, with a tariff on heavy trucks slated to come into force in November. The Trump administration is also conducting investigations into aircraft, semiconductors and industrial machinery, among other industries, suggesting more tariffs are on the horizon. [to access the full story a Globe & Mail subscription is required]

Read More

From Steel to Spices: Why Derivative Tariffs Deserve Every Importer’s Attention

By Kelsey Christensen, Mark Ludwikowski and Kevin Williams
By Clark Hill
October 20, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

Section 232 tariffs were once seen as a fortress for US metals. Yet, that fortress now casts a much longer shadow. Companies far removed from the steel and aluminum sector could soon find themselves ensnared in tariffs they never imagined, thanks to the inclusion process for “derivative” products. The Trump Administration has steadily expanded Section 232 authority well beyond their original steel and aluminum targets, to copper, automobiles, trucks, lumber, and even wooden cabinets. These tariffs, which range from 10% (for lumber) to 50% (for steel and aluminum), are layered on top of normal import duties. At first glance, these measures appeared to strike only those industries handling raw materials. But in 2025 the Administration sought to close what it saw as a loophole: downstream products containing tariffed metals that could enter duty-free. As a result, section 232 tariffs were imposed on the raw material and a finite list of derivative products.

Read More

My house cost $150,000 more to build even before new tariffs hit

By Danielle Kaye
BBC News
October 21, 2025
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: International

Anthony Cabrera, who started working with a contractor in March to construct the three-bedroom house, was eager to get ahead of a fresh round of tariffs on key building materials and home items that took effect earlier this week. Mr Cabrera had already seen his initial budget of roughly $300,000 balloon to $450,000 as prices for a range of products. …A recent report from Goldman Sachs found that US consumers will shoulder as much as 55% of the cost. It takes time to raise prices on consumers, the economists noted, and US firms will increasingly pass on costs in the coming months. The new tariffs “will create additional headwinds for an already challenged housing market” Buddy Hughes, chairman for the NAHB, said. Affordable housing construction could be hit particularly hard, said Elena Patel, of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. …Matthew Walsh, at Moody’s Analytics, said that cost uncertainty will be the most immediate effect.

Read More

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Countdown to The Buildings Show 2025: Explore the future of wood-based construction

By Robin MacLennan
Ontario Construction News
October 21, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

The countdown to The Buildings Show 2025 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, where exhibitors across the North and South Halls will showcase solutions shaping the future of North America’s residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial building sectors. Ontario Construction News is running a series of videos leading up to The Buildings Show. The next instalment features presenter Clive Thurston, former president of the Contractors Association, who will discuss the state of the construction industry….A highlight of this year’s event is WoodWorks at The Buildings Show, presented by the Canadian Wood Council (CWC). Topics include: Tall Wood in Canada: Current State, Opportunities, and New Initiatives; Building Success: The Nshwaasnangong Child Care and Family Centre Story; Design Best Practices for Mid-Rise Light Wood Frame Structures; and The First All-Mass-Timber Acute Care Hospital in North America. For the full program, visit the WoodWorks at The Buildings Show.

Read More

Fiber giants are advancing forest-friendly materials, Canopy report finds

By Elsa Wenzel
Trellis (formerly GreenBiz)
October 21, 2025
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

More companies that provide rayon, lyocell and modal to fashion brands are sourcing less from ancient and endangered forests, according to the nonprofit Canopy. Although the vast majority of cellulosic fibers are still spun from virgin materials, some of the biggest producers have been quickly adopting forest-friendly and circular materials. 70% of companies making semi-synthetic, cellulose-based fibers now exhibit green practices that reduce pressures on forests. 54% of fiber producers that the group tracked have reached the nonprofit’s favorable green rating. …Canopy uses this annual report in part to help brands make informed sourcing decisions. The use of recycled materials for such fibers is still rare, although it grew to 1.1% in 2024. Such textiles represent only 6% of the global fiber market, according to Textile Exchange. It found that fibers approved by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or other certification made up as much as 70 percent of cellulosic fiber market share.

Read More

Forestry

MLA Tony Luck demands forest ministry clear cutting permit backlogs

By Adam Louis
Agassiz-Harrison Observer
October 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Tony Luck

Fraser-Nicola MLA Tony Luck is outraged at the B.C. government’s delay in cutting permits from the Ministry of Forests. The local MLA issued an open letter to Forests Minister Ravi Parmar specifically for failing to issue cutting permits that forced the closure of Aspen Planers’ sawmill in Merritt recently. “When a sawmill shuts down,” Luck stated on Oct. 20. “The heart of a community stops beating. And it’s happening on this government’s watch.” Luck said that 200 people in Merritt are out of work with the mill shutting down, as are 68 more people from Lillooet. The plant in Savona – an unincorporated community near Kamloops Lake – has reduced from three shifts to two, cutting hours and pay, which Luck attributes to the Ministry of Forests’ slow action on cutting permits. …Luck demanded immediate action from the Ministry of Forests, including fast-tracking cutting permits, publishing clear deadlines and being accountable for backlogs. 

Read More

Independent watchdog sets eyes on forestry operation near Port McNeill

By Brendan Jure
Campbell River Mirror
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Forest Practices Board, an independent watchdog, is set to conduct an audit on a forestry operation near Port McNeill. The Aat’uu Forestry Limited Partnership’s Forest Licence A19236 in the Campbell River Natural Resource District of the North Island Timber Supply Area is the subject of the audit, starting on Oct. 20. “The audit will examine whether forestry activities carried out between Oct. 1, 2023, and Oct. 24, 2025, comply with the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act,” reads a press release from the Forest Practices Board. “Activities subject to audit include timber harvesting; road and bridge construction, maintenance, and deactivation; silviculture; wildfire protection; and related operational planning.” The Aat’uu Forestery Limited Partnership is a company owned by the Ehattesaht First Nation. It is managed by Strategic Natural Resource Group from an office in Campbell River.

Read More

Environmental groups urging B.C. to do more to protect biodiversity

By Madeline Dunnett, The Discourse
The Alberni Valley News
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Organizations across B.C. are pushing the province to deliver on a promise to create legislation that will protect biodiversity. The promise stems from a five-year-old independent Old Growth Strategic Review Report, which was undertaken to inform policies around old growth forest management. The report made 14 different recommendations for the province to act on. In a recently-made public letter from March to the minister of water, land and resource stewardship, 88 different organizations urged the province to move forward on implementing a biodiversity and ecosystem health framework and associated laws that would see the protection of vital natural areas in B.C. …Jen Groundwater, a volunteer for Save Our Forests Comox Valley (one of the 88 letter writers), told the Discourse she’s been spending time digging through provincial government initiatives going back to the 1990s and has seen little progress on its promises. 

Read More

Wildfire seasons in the Northwest Territories unlikely to ease off by next century, study finds

By Sarah St-Pierre
CBC News
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

The Northwest Territories could see more difficult wildfire seasons ahead – all the way into the next century, according to recent research. One study published last month by researchers from the University of British Columbia and Natural Resources Canada predicts that while the rest of the country will see an increase in burn probability by 2100, the N.W.T.’s rate will remain about the same. Chris Mulverhill, one of the study’s co-authors, said the chance of a wildfire in Yellowknife is already as high as it can get. “We hopefully don’t want to give the impression that Yellowknife [and other northern communities] are going to be spared from intense fire seasons in the future,” he wrote in an email. …Mulverhill said the projections are based on current forest conditions, but climate change in northern areas is expected to cause large changes in the structure, composition, and condition of vegetation.

Read More

Broad Coalition of Civil Society Organizations Presents Legislative Petition to Repeal Bill 5

By Ontario Nature
Cision Newswire
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

TORONTO — On the first day of the Legislative Assembly’s Fall session, representatives from Ontario Nature, Legal Advocates for Nature’s Defence, National Farmers Union – Ontario and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario are presenting a formal petition with 1,706 signatories to the Legislative Assembly calling on the Government of Ontario to repeal Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act. Bill 5 infringes on Indigenous rights, gives unchecked powers to provincial ministers, dismantles protections for at-risk species, overrides municipal planning and undermines democratic processes. “Bill 5 threatens the long-term sustainability and well-being of Ontario under the guise of addressing economic uncertainty. Bill 5 is a step in the wrong direction that will further threaten Ontario’s most vulnerable species. We need economic solutions that operate in harmony with nature, not in conflict,” said Tony Morris, Conservation Policy and Campaigns Director, Ontario Nature

Read More

Trump’s War on Environment Continues Despite Government Shutdown

Center for Biological Diversity
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: United States

WASHINGTON— The Trump administration is continuing its anti-environment agenda by prioritizing fossil fuel production, border wall construction and other destructive programs during a government shutdown that has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. While most government functions have stopped as the shutdown enters its fourth week, work continues to process oil and gas permits and advance logging in national forests. Some of the environmentally harmful programs operating through the shutdown include: Logging in national forests continues as the U.S. Forest Service works to further timber sales; The Forest Service continues to approve mining projects, including an exploration permit in Montana; The Bureau of Land Management is processing oil and gas drilling permits and coal mining projects; and The Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticides office remains open and work continues to expedite approval of the dangerous pesticide dicamba.

Read More

Montana Land Board Approves Project to Conserve 53,000 Acres of Timber Forests Near Libby

By Tristan Scott
The Flathead Beacon
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

A project to permanently protect 53,000 acres of private timberland in Flathead and Lincoln counties cleared a final hurdle on Oct. 20 when the Montana Land Board delivered a 4-1 vote in favor of a conservation easement that has earned plaudits from a wide-ranging alliance of stakeholders, including the wood products industry, the conservation community, and prominent hunting and fishing groups. Called the Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement, the project is now in its second phase. In total, the project encompasses 85,752 acres of private timberland owned by Green Diamond Resource Company. …“It’s going to be parceled out, subdivided into 20- to 60-acre little parcels full of McMansions and ranchettes,” Kyle Schmauch, chief of staff and communications director for the Senate Republicans of the Montana Legislature said. “This is where the locals go to recreate, people who’ve grown up here. This is where they go to escape the crowds…”

Read More

Wisconsin “Forests FIRST” project aims to strengthen our state’s forest products industry health and economic future

By Wisconsin Forests FIRST coalition
WisPolitics
October 20, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: US East

Wisconsin’s forest products industry is integral to our state’s environment, economy, and quality of life. To ensure that this important element of Wisconsin’s heritage continues to thrive for future generations, a coalition of forest products industry stakeholders is taking a major step forward with the launch of Wisconsin Forests FIRST (Forest Industry Roadmap and Strategies for Tomorrow). Wisconsin Forests FIRST is a statewide initiative created to develop a strategic plan and roadmap to ensure our forests remain healthy and to promote a resilient, sustainable, and competitive forest products industry. This coalition effort is supported with a $1 million state grant from the forestry account, which received bi-partisan support and was signed into law by Governor Evers. Currently in the initial planning stages, the project’s overarching goal is to examine Wisconsin’s forest products industry and its role to support and enhance the state’s ecological, social and economic well-being.

Read More

Europe Shortens Deforestation Enforcement Delay to Six Months

By John Ainger
Bloomberg Green
October 21, 2025
Category: Forestry
Region: International

The European Union proposed granting companies six months of leeway to comply with its landmark law to curb deforestation across the world, rejecting a longer delay despite industry complaints. The EU’s Deforestation Regulation aims to tackle the felling of trees associated with imports. Yet it has faced criticism at home and abroad for being too bureaucratic. The European Commission proposed Tuesday giving large companies six months of relief from sanctions after the law goes into effect at the end of the year. Bloomberg previously reported plans to delay implementing the rules by a year. …Both parliament and member states will need to sign off on the changes before the end of the year, and have the right to propose amendments. …A six-month adjustment period will be welcomed by environmental activists, alarmed by high rates of deforestation, said Luciana Chávez. [to access the full story a Bloomberg subscription is required]

Read More

Health & Safety

Your safety program needs to cover winter driving

Truck Loggers Association & Road Safety at Work
October 21, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

Does your workplace safety program include steps to reduce the risks your drivers face when driving on the job in winter? It needs to. Your safety responsibilities don’t change with the seasons. But you do need to address the additional driving hazards created by winter road and weather conditions. Some of the biggest hazards for log haulers include:

  • Driving too fast for the conditions.
  • Lower visibility caused by blowing snow, fog, shorter daylight hours, and dirty windshields.
  • Driver fatigue from working in cold, low-light conditions, or on long shifts.
  • Driving in remote or rural locations where help may take longer to arrive.

The good news from Road Safety at Work is that most crashes can be prevented. By preparing vehicles, training drivers, and planning trips with safety in mind, employers can reduce risks, protect workers, and avoid costly disruptions.

Read More

Worker killed in industrial accident at Westervelt Lumber

WBRC News 6
October 20, 2025
Category: Health & Safety
Region: US East

MOUNDVILLE, Alabama – Moundville Police are investigating after a contracted worker died at Westervelt Lumber. According to Moundville Police, the worker was injured around 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18 while completing work at Westervelt Lumber – Moundville. A representative with The Westervelt Company says the worker was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where they died from their injuries. Police say they began investigating the accident on Sunday, Oct. 19 and are still working to find out what exactly happened. They are waiting to hear from the medical examiner in Montgomery but do not suspect foul play. A spokesperson for Westervelt Company says they will not be sharing any information about the worker to respect the family and friends’ privacy. “We have taken action to make our employees and contractors aware of this incident and have instructed our leadership and safety teams to provide additional support needed,” the spokesperson added.

Read More