In a recent statement, the Ontario government expressed firm opposition to the current decision by the U.S. Department of Commerce to impose higher duties on Canadian softwood lumber exports.

Graydon Smith, minister of natural resources and forestry, and Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation, and trade, jointly released the statement, in which the Ontario government is urgently calling for the immediate removal of these duties, citing their detrimental impact on the province’s crucial forest sector.

The statement explicates the forest sector plays a pivotal role in Ontario’s economy, contributing nearly $21 billion in annual revenue and supporting more than 142,000 direct and indirect jobs. The province strongly objects to the anticipated escalation in duty rates later this year, considering them both harmful and unjustified. Despite Ontario’s commitment to providing high-quality materials to both sides of the border, the additional costs imposed by the U.S. pose a significant challenge to the province’s producers.

Further, the statement says Ontario remains resolute in defending the workers, families, and communities dependent on the forest sector, firmly opposing any trade practices that hinder fair competition in export markets.

The province, along with other provincial governments, the federal government, and industry leaders, is united in advocating for free trade between Canada and the U.S. in support of the Canadian forest industry.

According to the Government of Canada’s website, this latest development is part of a longstanding softwood lumber trade dispute that spanned 25 years.

In a report by CBC, the international trade minister Mary Ng expressed disappointment at the U.S. Commerce Department’s plan to increase duties from 8.05 to 13.86 per cent. Ng has pledged to challenge the decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission to maintain these duties.