Provincial ministers are speaking out against a new decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to raise duties on Canadian softwood lumber, calling the move harmful to workers, families and cross-border trade.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, Kevin Holland, associate minister of forestry and forest products, Mike Harris, minister of natural resources, and Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade, said the increased tariffs put shared competitiveness at risk.
“Ontario and the U.S. trade together and build together,” the ministers said, adding that Canadian softwood lumber is a high-quality, sustainably harvested material needed by the U.S. construction industry.
They said the continued duties raise costs and reduce affordability for American families, and reiterated Ontario’s position that the tariffs should be lifted entirely.
