B.C. forests minister says Trump tariffs could be ‘devastating’ to sector

B.C.’s Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says U.S. softwood lumber duties and president-elect Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs could be “devastating” to the province’s forestry sector.

He says the province needs to bring a “team B.C. and a team Canada” approach to fighting the duties.

Parmar, speaking in Prince George where the government announced $5.1 million in capital support for the forest sector, says the federal government needs to step up and help the industry get back on its feet in B.C.

The funding announcement, through the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund, aims to support seven capital projects as well as five planning projects.

B.C.’s timber industry has suffered numerous mill closures in recent years, involving the loss of thousands of jobs.

Jobs Minister Diana Gibson says diversifying the economy is a way of fighting back against the threat of U.S. tariffs by making the province less reliant on north-south trade.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2025.

Marcy Nicholson, The Canadian Press