In response to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s final determination on countervailing and antidumping duties applied to Canada’s softwood lumber exports to the United States, Bruce Ralston, Minister of Forests, and Jagrup Brar, Minister of State for Trade, have issued a joint statement expressing their strong disagreement and determination to fight against these unjustified barriers.
British Columbia’s 52,000 hard-working forest industry workers are at the heart of this issue, and the ministers are adamant that they deserve better than facing unwarranted obstacles to their prosperity. They assert that the U.S. duties are not only hurting the forestry professionals and communities in Canada but also increasing material costs for Americans.
The forestry sector in British Columbia is taking significant steps towards sustainability and strives to provide markets worldwide with the highest-quality timber. However, the imposition of these duties is creating uncertainty for both sides of the border. To protect the foundational industry of forestry in British Columbia, the ministers vow to relentlessly pursue their claim through all available avenues, including the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, and the World Trade Organization.