The BC Lumber Trade Council is urging the federal government to engage with the US government to determine a way forward following the expiration of the Canada-US Softwood Lumber Agreement, the agency said in a press release Friday.
“It is important for governments on both sides of the border to take steps to avoid another lengthy and unnecessary trade dispute in softwood,” said Susan Yurkovich, president of the BC Lumber Trade Council.
BC is the largest Canadian exporter of softwood lumber to the US. The BC forest industry remains a major contributor to the provincial economy, generating $1.4 billion in revenue for the provincial government and supporting 150,000 forestry-dependent jobs.