The U.S. has finalized an increase in anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber, raising the rate to 20.56 per cent from the previous 7.66 per cent. Combined with existing countervailing duties of 6.74 per cent, Canadian exports may soon face a total duty burden exceeding 30 per cent if forthcoming countervailing decisions align with current preliminary findings.

The decision has been met with strong condemnation from British Columbia’s lumber sector. The BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) and the BC Lumber Trade Council (BCLTC) labeled the move as punitive, unjustified, and protectionist, warning of negative repercussions for workers and communities across Canada.

“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,” said COFI.

Kurt Niquidet, president of the BCLTC, emphasized the cross-border consequences. “These duties are both unjustified and harmful,” he stated. “They unfairly penalize forestry workers and families across British Columbia, while further increasing costs for American homebuilders and consumers.”

The B.C. Council of Forest Industries called on Ottawa to prioritize resolution of the softwood lumber dispute as a top national issue, asserting that “this latest escalation… underscores a hard truth: we cannot wait for the U.S. to act.”

Provincial officials and lumber advocates are also urging the B.C. government to take immediate steps to sustain domestic operations. Proposed measures include activating timber sales, accelerating permitting, and streamlining regulatory processes to maintain mill operations and stabilize the sector.

BCLTC confirmed it will continue contesting the tariffs through all legal avenues. “We will continue to stand up for Canadian producers and the thousands of workers and communities that depend on a stable, rules-based trading relationship with the United States,” said Niquidet.