Kurt Niquidet

Some sawmill workers in BC should brace for layoff notices, sometime between now and Christmas. With lumber prices below the break-even point for many lumber producers, and new 10% American tariffs being tacked onto 35% duties, it’s inevitable some sawmills will have to take at least temporary curtailments, industry experts say. …Unless President Trump executes one of his famous policy pirouettes, the new tariffs could cost Canadian lumber exporters about US$500 million a year. “If you don’t see markets pick up, I could certainly see more curtailments coming,” said Kurt Niquidet, for the Council of Forest Industries. “The major curtailments are yet to come,” said analyst Russ Taylor. “There’s got to be a ton of them coming to be able to get supply and demand back into balance.” …Jeff Bromley, for the United Steelworkers: “With nearly half the value of every Canadian lumber shipment being siphoned off at the border, whole towns are facing devastating consequences.”

Related coverage by:

• Rob Shaw in Business in Vancouver: Even Eby’s critics are siding with him on softwood