B.C. Forest Minister hopeful Biden will not hurt struggling softwood lumber industry
Posted January 20, 2021 9:06 pm.
KAMLOOPS (NEWS 1130) — B.C.’s Forest Minister is hopeful the province’s softwood lumber industry will not suffer now that Joe Biden is in the White House.
Speaking with RadioNL in Kamloops, Katrine Conroy is responding to concerns dating back to when Barack Obama was still president.
“Biden is very much supportive of U.S. products,” she says. “But I also know from talking to people that have personal experiences with him that he’s very realistic. And he wants to work with Canada, he sees it as a partnership. So we’ll see how that works.”
In late November, the U.S. Department of Commerce cut softwood lumber tariffs for most Canadian forest companies from more than 20 per cent to just under nine.
“It’s good news. This is a 40-year issue that’s been going on. It’s one that is good news for our forest industry here in B.C.”
Conroy says she’s confident Biden wants to improve relations with Canada while still supporting lumber producers in his country.
