THUNDER BAY – Ontario’s associate minister of forestry and forest products has issued a joint statement with the minister of economic development, job creation and trade on the impact of softwood lumber duties.
The United States Department of Commerce has announced it plans to nearly triple anti-dumping duties on softwood lumber produced north of the border, to almost 27 per cent.
It’s a number that’s disappointing and damaging, said Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland, the associate minister of forestry and forest products.
“Ontario is deeply disappointed that the United States intends to drastically raise duty rates on Canadian softwood lumber exports later this year. These unjustified and punitive measures will raise construction costs and further strain housing affordability for American families,” said Holland, in a statement issued on Saturday to media in conjunction with Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli.
“Ontario’s softwood lumber producers deliver high-quality and sustainably harvested building materials that support jobs, communities, and economic growth on both sides of the border. The continued application – and now, escalation – of these duties is harmful to Ontario’s forest sector and to American consumers alike.”
Holland and Fedeli went on to say the Ontario forest sector generated close to $37 billion in revenue in 2022 and supported more than 137,000 jobs.
“We remain firm that these duties should be lifted entirely,” Holland said.
“Ontario continues to support the Canadian forest industry and free trade between our two countries.”
According to the U.S.-based National Association of Home Builders, the United States imported slightly more than 11.8 billion board feet of softwood lumber from Canada last year, adding the volatility surrounding tariffs has already increased the price of lumber by 12.7 per cent since the end of 2024.
The NAHB has urged the White House to exempt critical building materials from tariffs on Canadian goods.
Canada largely escaped additional tariffs when U.S. President Donald Trump announced global tariff rates on his so-called Liberation Day.
