The U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed final tariffs averaging 20.83 per cent against most Canadian shipments of softwood lumber into the United States, intensifying trade tensions between the two countries. The weighted average tariffs levied by the Trump administration consist of 14.25 per cent for countervailing duties and 6.58 per cent for anti-dumping levies. Thursday’s decision to uphold the imposition of tariffs comes as a setback for Canadian producers that had been hoping for a breakthrough softwood deal. The Canadian government and forestry industry say that the flow of lumber from Canada into the United States should be embraced and not feared by Americans. …One source with knowledge of the softwood discussions said the impediment to a deal was the U.S. lumber industry, which appeared to prefer hitting Canada with tariffs rather than agreeing to a negotiated settlement.