Federal, Provincial Ministers Discuss U.S. Anti-Dumping Announcement

Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jim Carr, and his provincial counterparts have reiterated their commitment to stand firmly behind the Canadian forest industry and vigorously defend its interests.

The members of the Federal-Provincial Task Force on Softwood Lumber held a teleconference in response to the announcement by the U.S. Department of Commerce this week imposing preliminary anti-dumping duties on imports of certain Canadian softwood lumber products into the U.S. and the announcement of consultations on excluding three provinces from duties.

Minister Carr and his provincial counterparts discussed the importance of Canada’s softwood lumber industry as an innovative, environmentally responsible and globally competitive industry that sustains hundreds of thousands of good, middle-class jobs across our country, including in rural and Indigenous communities.

Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to forest workers and communities that rely on softwood lumber and agreed to continue to discuss how Canada will respond to these unfair and punitive duties. Today’s discussion builds on a recent federal investment of $867 million to strengthen the softwood lumber industry, support its workers and diversify the uses and markets for Canadian wood and wood products.

Ministers agreed that the Government of Canada should continue to forcefully press its American counterparts to rescind these unfair and unwarranted trade actions while remaining confident that a negotiated settlement is not only possible but in the best interests of both countries.