President Donald Trump has again set his tariff sights on Canada, this time on softwood lumber exports to the US. The threat of lumber tariffs looms over negotiations between Washington and Ottawa to reach a trade deal by Friday.
Canadian lumber producers said they’re deeply troubled by the decision to increase anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood by more than 14% to nearly 21%. Canadians are calling it unwarranted and unfair. As of August 8, there will be another increase to about 35%, with some companies facing duties of up to 50%
Lana Payne is the national president of Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union.
“This is a dire situation,” Payne said. “We need a negotiated deal. We also need an industrial strategy for this sector to make sure that we’re able to diversify our markets and make sure that we’re protecting workers in the short term. And have a medium and long-term plan for the forest sector in Canada.”
Payne and some lawmakers said what’s needed is for the federal and provincial governments to work together, along with the industry. British Columbia Premier David Eby said the softwood lumber industry would be a good candidate for early resolution in the trade talks, since it’s been under threat for years.
Since the early 1990s, more than 40,000 jobs in the sector have been lost. And BC forests minister Ravi Parmar said the softwood tariffs will also have an impact in the U.S. He estimates Americans will have to pay about 15,000 to 20,000 dollars more to buy or build a new home.
