Trump eyeing spring start for Canadian lumber tariffs; could new levy stack on current one?
Posted February 20, 2025 1:00 am.
Last Updated February 20, 2025 6:41 pm.
The list of potential American tariffs that could affect Canada grew Wednesday night when U.S. President Donald Trump dropped the idea of a 25 per cent levy on lumber and forest products.
Speaking to the media onboard Air Force One, Trump said his administration was eyeing some time around April for the latest announced duty.
Earlier this month, Trump paused until March 4th his initially planned 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian goods and a lower 10-per-cent levy on imports of Canadian energy.
Canada’s forestry sector recently described the threatened tariffs as unnecessary and unwarranted, given that the U.S. currently meets only about 70 per cent of its homebuilding lumber needs domestically and uses Canadian lumber to fill the gap.
If the threatened 25 per cent tariff is added on top of current duties already in place, the combined total on softwood exports to the United States will be closer to the 50 or 55 per cent estimate.
The U.S. last raised duties on softwood lumber from Canada in August 2024 from 8.05 per cent to 14.54 per cent.
B.C.’s forests minister calls the situation ‘ludicrous’
B.C. Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar says more duties and additional tariffs piled onto Canadian softwood lumber would be “devastating” for the industry.
He says he expects the U.S. Commerce Department to issue anti-dumping duties by Friday of as much as 14 per cent — on top of the current 14.5 per cent duty.
Parmar calls the situation “ludicrous” and points out how detrimental will be to not only Canadians but also Americans.
“Imagine the president going to Los Angeles in 2028 to host the Olympics,” he said.
“I understand the guy likes to host parties, and as part of that, being in a city that hasn’t been able to rebuild because of the tariffs and duties that he has put on goods from British Columbia, goods from Canada, only for him to be able to stop the ability for his people to rebuild.”
The move comes as Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that his administration was eyeing a 25 per cent tariff on lumber, which would be implemented sometime around April.
With files from 1130 NewsRadio staff.
