Canadian officials condemn U.S. softwood lumber duties

Canadian lumber producers and officials are protesting the latest U.S. Department of Commerce decision regarding softwood lumber duties. Following a seventh administrative review, the U.S. has set a combined countervailing and anti-dumping duty rate of 24.75%. When including the 10% tariff imposed under Section 232, total import taxes on Canadian softwood lumber entering the United States reach 34.75%.

Ontario ministers issued a joint statement asserting that the duties remain unjustified and lack evidentiary support. They argued that these measures harm workers and businesses in both Canada and the United States by increasing construction costs for American families. The province is calling for the elimination of all softwood lumber tariffs in favor of a fair, long-term trade agreement.

The BC Lumber Trade Council expressed similar disappointment, noting that the dispute has pressured forestry communities and mills for nearly a decade. The council highlighted that U.S. homebuilders rely on Canadian spruce-pine-fir (SPF) lumber, which is not interchangeable with Southern Yellow Pine, and urged a negotiated settlement to resolve the ongoing trade barriers.