Ontario’s forestry and economic development ministers are again urging the United States to lift duties on Canadian softwood lumber after a new increase by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
In a joint statement Friday, Associate Minister of Forestry and Forest Products Kevin Holland, Minister of Natural Resources Mike Harris, and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli said the move disregards the harm caused by the tariffs.
“Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce has decided to further increase duties on Canadian softwood lumber,” the ministers said. “This decision ignores the real burdens duties impose on both sides of the border: reducing productivity, disrupting industry, driving up building costs and making housing less affordable for American families.”
The ministers said they had recently called on the United States to “uphold its commitment to free and fair trade” and respond “to a time of global instability with a renewed commitment to strong economic ties, shared values and national security, for the good of workers in both the United States and Canada.”
They reiterated their position that “continued duties are an unjust burden on Canadian softwood lumber exports and should be lifted entirely, for the benefit of thousands of workers and families on both sides of the border.”
