B.C. reacts to new standards to limit use of non-U.S. lumber in American projects

B.C. reacts to new standards to limit use of non-U.S. lumber in American projects

February 8, 2023 By BC Lumber Trade Council

Linda Coady speaking at the Truck Loggers Association convention in Vancouver, B.C., January 19, 2023. Photo: Annex Business Media.

Linda Coady, president of the BC Lumber Trade Council made the following statement in response to United States President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address signaling that new standards limiting the use of non-American lumber in U.S. infrastructure projects will be introduced.

“The BC Lumber Trade Council is aware of President Biden’s intention to introduce standards that will limit the use of non-American lumber in government-funded infrastructure projects.

“While this is concerning and we are seeking to better understand what this means for Canadian producers, our focus remains on working on both sides of the border to maximize the opportunity Canada has in providing the sustainably produced, low-carbon lumber products we know American homebuilders, consumers and construction workers want and need. To put this in perspective, in 2021, U.S. lumber demand was over 50 billion board feet. US domestic producers could only supply 35 billion board feet of that demand leaving an around 15 billion board feet shortfall – a gap that was largely filled Canadian lumber, produced by Canadian workers.

“To leverage these and other opportunities, remaining focused on a Team Canada approach to the softwood lumber dispute is critical. For decades, and regardless of who is in government, Canadians have benefited from having a unified voice on this issue across party-lines and across the country. Strong cross partisan and intergovernmental cooperation which drives to a common cause because the elimination of tariffs is in the best interest of all. We appreciate that Minister Ng, like her predecessors, along with the Government of B.C. are continuing with this approach while driving discussions with the U.S. and standing up for Canadians’ interests.”

The BC Lumber Trade Council is the voice on trade matters for companies in B.C. representing the majority of lumber production in the province.

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