B.C. premier says softwood lumber accord could build 'momentum' for U.S. trade deals

The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 08, 2025 9:54 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Resolving the softwood lumber quality could make "momentum" for a larger commercialized statement betwixt Canada and the United States, British Columbia Premier David Eby says.

Eby said Wednesday successful Victoria that helium and respective different premiers pressed that constituent during a virtual gathering with Prime Minister Mark Carney aft his sojourn with U.S. President Donald Trump this week. 

He said softwood lumber could contiguous an accidental to "lead the mode successful presumption of opening the doorway again to factual and meaningful discussions that payment some Americans with cheaper gathering materials … arsenic good arsenic maturation successful our economy." 

The premier said it doesn't substance if Canada and the United States resolve the softwood lumber quality earlier dealing with the wide commercialized and tariff issue.

"This is 1 of those areas wherever it feels similar we tin make immoderate momentum for a larger agreement," Eby said. 

Council of Forest Industries main economist Kurt Niquidet said helium agrees with Eby. 

"We perceive a batch astir autos and alloy and aluminum, but I deliberation Premier Eby has been doing a bully occupation to rise the illustration of softwood lumber," Niquidet said. "It's not conscionable a British Columbia issue, it's a nationalist issue."

Canada and the United States person been without a softwood lumber woody since 2015 and B.C. softwood lumber exporters wage duties of 14.4 per cent, which are expected to leap to 34.5 per cent successful the fall. 

The manufacture besides faces imaginable tariffs connected apical of existing duties aft Trump ordered an probe into the nationalist information implications of lumber imports. 

Eby has repeatedly questioned the intent of the probe due to the fact that the province's softwood lumber manufacture "poses nary menace to Americans, but for much affordable housing," helium said.

The United States has collected $10 cardinal successful duties truthful far, but that wealth remains legally locked up arsenic Canada is challenging the tariffs arsenic unjustified nether the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. 

Previous softwood agreements person divided up the wealth collected, and Eby said some the American authorities and Canadian producers could payment from those funds, which helium said is an "incentive" connected some sides of the borderline to "get a deal." 

Niquidet with the Council of Forest Industries said American companies won't beryllium capable to entree a stock of the collected wealth unless their authorities settles with the Canadian government. 

He could not accidental however agelong it mightiness instrumentality to negociate a deal, but "if determination is simply a just woody connected the table, it could spell beauteous quickly."    

Lumber manufacture facing challenges

B.C.'s forestry manufacture is 1 of province's astir important exports, with Niquidet's manufacture radical pegging its publication to provincial GDP astatine $17.4 cardinal successful 2023. 

But the assemblage has faced aggregate challenges implicit the years including declining harvests, and groups specified arsenic the Business Council of British Columbia person warned of catastrophic effects, particularly successful agrarian and bluish B.C., if the United States follows done connected threats to rise duties and enforce tariffs. 

Conservative Party of B.C. Leader John Rustad said Wednesday that a c taxation connected U.S. thermal ember shipped done the Port of Vancouver could beryllium utilized arsenic leverage to retrieve the collected duties. 

"We privation to spot that wealth returned astatine a clip erstwhile (forest companies) request to spot those investments," helium said. 

He said the softwood lumber quality affects B.C. the most, and helium was "disappointed" that it hasn't go a apical precedence for some the provincial and national governments. 

Eby said the premiers besides discussed the threats of U.S. tariffs connected the movie manufacture and bail betterment during their gathering with Carney since helium was elected.