Ian Dunn

Government aid to deliver relief to the embattled forestry industry is being welcomed by industry and municipal groups. But a negotiated, permanent solution to end the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute is needed to ensure the long-term viability of the sector. That’s the reaction trickling in to the US Department of Commerce’s move last week to significantly increase duties on exports of Canadian softwood lumber to the US. …OFIA president-CEO Ian Dunn said the softwood lumber dispute must remain a “top priority” in Ottawa’s trade discussions with the US. “Ontario’s forest sector depends on international trade, exporting approximately $7.9 billion worth of goods per year,” said Dunn. Provincial and federal measures, such as offering loan guarantees, will “provide liquidity to impacted companies,” Dunn said, as will government procurement policies to use more domestically produced building materials in infrastructure and homebuilding projects.