KELOWNA, BC — An export-focused West Kelowna firm, the largest private sector employer in the city, is less dependent on the US market than it used to be. But officials at Gorman Group are still nervously waiting to see if US President Donald Trump follows through on a threat to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian imports. “The tariff threat has caused uncertainty, which makes it very difficult to forecast cash flow and make investments,” said Nick Arkle, CEO of Gorman Group. Years ago, the company shipped 8o% of its product to the US. “But we’ve reduced our dependency to 50% of mill shipments, while 35% stays within Canada, and 15% is destined for other export markets. …Regardless of what happens in the short-term with tariffs, it’s expected that later this year the duty imposed by the U.S. on softwood lumber imports from Canada will increase from 14.4% to approximately 30%, Arkle said.
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