B.C. forestry leader backs Canada’s trade walkout despite possible softwood progress

VANCOUVER - The president of British Columbia's forestry industry is backing Prime Minister Mark Carney's decision to pull out of trade negotiations with the United States, despite potential progress in lumber tariffs. Kim Haakstad, the head of the BC Council of Forest Industries, believes the collapse of talks will create difficulties for her sector, but stresses that Ottawa must withdraw if agreements cannot be reached that benefit Canadians overall.

This comes after a U.S. trade representative reported that President Donald Trump's administration had offered to reduce lumber tariffs during the negotiations, which ended last week.

B.C. Premier David Eby expressed disappointment that the negotiations failed to resolve the longstanding softwood lumber dispute, a sentiment echoed by Haakstad. She urged the provincial and federal governments to address the consequences of the U.S. tariffs that have been triggered by the talks' breakdown. Haakstad suggested measures such as reducing regulatory barriers to enable quicker access to B.C. lumber in the global market and easing rail transport costs, which have surged by 40% since 2018 for Canadian lumber producers looking to sell their products domestically.

Eby cautioned against being "naive" about the potential longevity of any deal reached with the Trump administration, emphasizing the need for Canada to stand up against a "thug and a bully."