U.S. imposing 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood

In an aerial view, logs are seen stacked at Gorman Brothers Lumber sawmill, in West Kelowna, B.C., on April 4. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER — British Columbia lumber organizations are condemning the decision by the U.S. Commerce Department to raise anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist.

The B.C. Council of Forest Industries issued a statement Friday saying the trade action will harm workers, families and communities across the province and Canada.

The council is calling on the Canadian government to make finding a resolution to the softwood dispute a top national priority, saying the latest escalation from the Commerce Department shows they can’t wait for the United States to act.

The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says in a separate statement that if the U.S. department’s pending review on countervailing duties is in line with its preliminary results, the combined rate against Canadian softwood shipped to the United States will be well over 30 per cent.

Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that a future trade agreement with the United States could include quotas on softwood lumber, an area that has caused friction between two countries for years before the latest trade war.

The American department had issued a preliminary anti-dumping rate in March of 20.07 per cent, up from 7.66 per cent set three years before, which is in addition to the countervailing duties of 6.74 per cent.

“This decision represents yet another example of ongoing U.S. protectionism at a time when cross-border co-operation should be a shared priority,” the statement from the B.C. Lumber Trade Council said.

The B.C. Council of Forest Industries said the provincial government could make a number of changes that would help the industry keep mills operating.

By activating timber sales, fast-tracking permits and cutting through regulatory gridlock, it said B.C. could send a signal that it is serious about rebuilding a sustainable forest sector.

“These unjustified and punitive trade actions continue to harm workers, families, and communities across British Columbia and Canada -- and have gone unresolved for far too long,” the statement from the council said.

B.C. Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar said in a statement that as U.S. President Donald Trump aims to destroy Canada’s economy, the forestry sector is feeling the “full weight of this.”

He said the province’s forest sector has already faced years of uncertainty, and the “rising unfair and unjust duties” imposed by the United States are bringing more challenges to the industry.

Parmar said Premier David Eby has been discussing the situation with other premiers about a Team Canada approach, while in B.C. he has appointed Don Wright, the former deputy minister to the premier, as a strategic adviser on softwood lumber to address the challenges.

“We’re going to fight for our workers, our communities and the future of this sector,” Parmar said.