B.C.'s forestry sector is awaiting the results of a U.S. Commerce Department investigation into the imports of wood products, which could impose further tariffs on the beleaguered industry.
It comes months after U.S. President Donald Trump launched a Section 232 investigation into whether importing timber, lumber and derivative products could pose a national security threat to the U.S.
The prospect of further tariffs on B.C.'s softwood lumber industry in particular — which is already dealing with a high 35 per cent duty imposed by the U.S. — could mean even more mill closures and job losses, experts say.
"Lumber is just one of many sectors that could get impacted … maybe lumber gets a lower tariff, but plywood and OSB [engingeered wood] and pulp get a higher tariff. We don't know," said Russ Taylor, a forestry industry consultant and analyst.
"But, very clearly, this is a broad-based approach to how the U.S. can deal with applying tariffs based on whatever their logic is and, you know, [put] the chokehold on Canada," he added...
This was excerpted from the 25 August 2025 edition of CBC News.