Softwood Lumber Deal Looks Distant
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PRINCE GEORGE – “Where are we with softwood? Has softwood been put on the backburner?”
That’s the question from Cariboo-Prince George MP, Todd Doherty, now that a replacement for NAFTA has been reached. Some speculate that the softwood lumber file had been shelved until such time as a new trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the US was achieved. And it has. But, according to the BC Lumber Trade Council, there’s no incentive to get a softwood deal.
“We can’t get an agreement unless the US industry comes to the table,” says Susan Yurkovich, President of the Council. “And they haven’t done that. And the reason they haven’t done that is they are making really good money. Lumber prices are up. They’re not paying the duties Canadian producers are paying. There’s no incentive, really to come to the table.”
In fact, this summer, the price of lumber was at all-time highs. BC alone ships $4.6 billion worth of lumber into the US each year, but Canadian producers are still paying duties of 21% to 23%, depending on the company.
