OTTAWA, ON–Proposed US tariffs will harm nearly half a million Canadian forest owners, many of whom own small woodlots and are already struggling through increased regulations, wildfires, taxes and weak markets.
Canadian forest owners account for 20 per cent of Canada’s total forest production. The tariffs will harm not just forest owners but local mills, workers, communities and customers on both sides of the border.
“The impact of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25 per cent tariff on Canadian exported goods would be far-reaching in Canada, but also in the United States,” said Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) CEO Andrew de Vries. “CFO encourages elected officials to work with us to ensure external pressures are minimized and internal impediments are reduced to allow Canadian forest landowners to compete fairly and competitively.”
The proposed tariffs will impact forest product goods including toilet paper, tissues, home renovation and building products, wood pellets for heating, and many other essential goods. With a 25 per cent tariff, the price Canadians receive for these goods will drop and the cost to our US customers will rise, forcing them to look elsewhere and further impacting economic activity. The US is the largest buyer of forest products from Canada, importing $17.2 billion in wood products in 2022.
Canadian Forest Owners is asking the federal and provincial governments to:
- Ensure logs from private forest lands are exempt from all tariffs.
- Work with owners to minimize regulatory burden so that they can compete fairly.
- Compensate private forest landowners when they are negatively impacted by trade agreements.
CFO is an integral part of the Canadian forest economy with 10 per cent of the land base providing 20 per cent of the national timber supply, supporting every Canadian mill, and providing $14.5 billion in revenue and ecological benefits to 300 communities across Canada.
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Media Contact:
Sandra Bishop 778-269-3050
Canadian Forest Owners (CFO) is the united national voice of private forest landowners promoting economic and social interests in sustainable management. Canadian Forest Owners represents 450,000 members including small and medium-sized businesses, large companies, pension funds, community forests, family owners, Indigenous peoples and many female-led businesses from coast to coast.
For more information, visit www.forestowners.ca