N.B. premier says province needs tariff deal on softwood lumber soon

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt reflects on 2025 in an interview with Todd Battis.

After months of negotiations, Canada still doesn’t have a deal to reduce or eliminate the 45 per cent tariffs on softwood lumber from the United States, leaving industries across the country to grapple with tough financial decisions as they head into 2026.

The New Brunswick industry in particular has been rocked by these tariffs, and Premier Susan Holt says they need a deal soon as thousands of jobs are at risk.

“Folks have been working really hard to avoid layoffs in the face of 45 per cent tariffs, but they can’t hold that position for much longer,” Holt told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis during a year-end interview. “What we need is a deal. We need Ottawa to go to Washington and negotiate to get those tariffs off.”

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Mark Carney increased the Softwood Lumber Development Program – which offers government-backed loans to companies – by $500 million, bringing the total to $1.2 billion.

Holt noted the debate over softwood lumber between Canada and the United States predates the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, and noted the industry needs to see progress on the issue.

“I don’t think the call for patience works in the face of the 45 per cent tariff,” she said. “It’s a 0.5 per cent reduction in our GDP. It’s thousands and thousands of jobs lost in the near future.

“There’s urgency to get a deal done.”

Private woodlot owner Andrew Clark previously told CTV News Atlantic that 2025 was one of the toughest years he’d seen in his six decades in the industry. He claimed sales were down roughly 50 per cent compared to 2024.

“It is the lack of markets which are the result of the tremendous uncertainty that the industry is in now because of the actions of the American government,” he said.

Future projects

Holt sees New Brunswick’s natural resources as major drivers of the province’s financial success, citing the Sisson Mine, which was recently added to the federal government’s list of nation-building projects.

Carney said the mine will produce tungsten, allowing Canada to be a supplier for defence and protective equipment. Holt said she wants to strike a balance between the financial opportunities of resource development and environmental care.

“It can’t be at all costs,” she said. “We want to make sure we have all the systems in place to protect what we love, which is a province rich in nature and waterways. We absolutely want to see the development of our natural resources.

“We can put in place a regulatory process that protects us and make this the best mine in the country.”

Earlier this month, New Brunswick signed an agreement with Ottawa that will allow major projects to undergo one environmental impact assessment instead of provincial and federal reports.

“Proponents had to jump through extra hoops,” Holt said. “By harmonizing the two processes to do the work concurrently, to make sure we’re exchanging that information at the same time, the proponent gets a timeline that’s more efficient. We’re not wasting time and tax dollars.”

Health care

Holt said the additional money from natural resource development could be invested into health care. She said her government’s plan is to boost spending on preventative care to ease the burden on acute care.

“Our plan is to invest up front,” she said. “If we have the strongest preventative care program, then the demand on our acute care system should reduce, and that’s our most expensive health care. We need to get that balance right.”

In 2025, New Brunswick opened 10 collaborative care units, which bring together multiple health-care professionals to improve patients’ access to primary care and reduce wait times.

Holt is hopeful the collaborative care model will also lighten the load at emergency rooms.

“The challenge in emergency rooms is complex,” she said. “Without primary care, there’s nowhere else to go. If you give people timely access to primary care, that takes some of the pressure off emergency rooms.”

-With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Laura Brown

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