Steep American duties on Canadian softwood lumber were expected to be a focal point as British Columbia Premier David Eby met with Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Carney, who was on a campaign swing in Victoria, told reporters ahead of the meeting that it’s not his first time talking with Eby about softwood lumber and Canada’s response to the broader trade dispute with the United States.
He says “we’re going to fight, protect and build.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a plan Friday to raise the duties on Canadian lumber to 34.45 per cent, more than double the current levy.
Asked about the U.S. plan during an earlier press conference in the Victoria area, Carney told reporters “these tariffs are wholly unjustified.”
He says he recognizes the importance of the industry that supports tens of thousands of workers and the federal government is stepping up on their behalf.
“This is another unjustified tariff. You can expect us to fight against it.”
Carney said there is an opportunity to play to B.C.‘s strengths in modular housing and mass timber as the federal government looks to speed up homebuilding.
Eby told reporters the American announcement was “bad news,” after issuing a statement on Saturday saying the plan was an “attack on workers.”
Carney pointed to his Liberals’ recent campaign pledge to implement a national housing strategy with the goal of building half a million homes a year, doubling the current rate, and said supporting Canadian lumber is part of that effort.
“We do have that ambition to build in this country, to use our resources.”
The BC Lumber Trade Council has issued a statement urging the U.S. Commerce Department to reverse its preliminary decision, saying the higher levies would hurt workers on both sides of the border and drive up lumber prices for Americans.
Council president Kurt Niquidet says B.C. does not subsidize its lumber industry and the U.S. duties are “unjustified and harmful.”
Rather, he says B.C.‘s system is grounded in market principles, with timber sold through open, competitive auctions.
“Claims that B.C.‘s system provides an unfair advantage are simply not supported by the facts. Commerce continues to employ flawed and misleading methodologies, resulting in the higher rates,” the statement says.
The federal New Democrats also issued a statement from several candidates from Vancouver Island, where many people and communities depend on the industry.
“The forest industry is taking a hit. The current softwood lumber tariffs are already devastating — this will be crippling,” says Gord Johns in Courtenay-Alberni.
“What we need right now is to build hospitals, bridges and houses — and let’s do it using Canadian lumber and steel.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 7, 2025.
