The latest review by the U.S. Department of Commerce is pushing combined import duties and tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber exports to the United States to nearly 35%, according to the BC Lumber Trade Council.
The new rate is down from the combined 45% announced last August. But the group representing British Columbia’s lumber producers says the lower figure does little to alleviate the industry’s concerns about the ongoing financial impact of U.S. trade measures.
“The industry is disappointed that Canadian lumber continues to be subject to what it believes are unjustified and punitive restrictions,” said Kim Haakstad, interim president of the council. “The combined effect of duties and tariffs is still weighing heavily on producers,” she said in a statement.
The current measures include countervailing duties of 14.11%, anti-dumping duties of 10.64% and an additional 10% tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on national security grounds.
The council said the dispute between the two countries has been festering for almost a decade, putting constant pressure on communities heavily dependent on the forestry sector for their livelihoods.
Haakstad also mentioned the effect on the U.S. economy, saying the trade barriers hurt more than Canadian lumber producers. Higher import costs have made it more expensive for American families to build homes, and companies that supply equipment and services to Canadian sawmills have also been hurt.
Even with the combined rate falling, the council’s stance emphasizes the ongoing economic pressures of the cross-border lumber trade, and the wider impact of the long-standing dispute on businesses and consumers on both sides of the border.
