B.C. premier anxious about province’s softwood lumber industry in Trump trade war

B.C. Premier David Eby said he is anxious about the province’s softwood lumber industry, which is already reeling from record-high tariffs.

At a media availability on Thursday, Eby said that he will be in Prince George on Friday to meet with forestry representatives.

1:29 3 reasons B.C. premier is ‘anxious’ about softwood lumber industry

“My concern is that the president has committed to targeting our softwood lumber industry even more than the Americans already have with their unfair duties on our products,” Eby said.

“It’s going to drive up the cost of housing in the States. It’s going to cost jobs south of the border. And in British Columbia. And we’re going to stand together with those workers in that sector to make sure that they’re supported, as well as with that industry, to make sure that we get through this and part of the effort will be around diversification in other markets.”

3:13 Did B.C. ‘dodge a bullet’ with Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs?

Eby said there are three reasons he is anxious about the industry. One is that President Donald Trump has already stated that the U.S. does not need any Canadian lumber.

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The second is that Trump has launched a “ludicrous” national security investigation into Canada’s timber practices in order to impose additional tariffs under Trump’s emergency national security authorities without going to Congress, Eby said.

The third, Eby added, is that Trump’s Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, has indicated repeatedly that timber, lumber and softwood are a key concern of Trump’s and an industry he intends to target.

“In British Columbia, in Canada, we’ve got to support that sector and ensure that we’re doing all we can to, just to ensure it survives, so that it can get to the realization on the American side that they actually do need Canadian lumber, and, that it helps keep costs down for people,” Eby said.

1:08 Canada announces 25% counter-tariffs on all U.S. vehicles

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a minimum 10 per cent baseline tariff on imports from most countries, not including Canada and Mexico.

However, in an announcement on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada is imposing counter-tariffs that will match Trump’s tariffs on vehicles while trying to incentivize automakers to stay put and promising more aid for auto workers.

Carney said Canada will respond by matching the U.S. approach, with 25 per cent tariffs on all vehicles imported from the United States that are not compliant with the CUSMA free trade agreement and on the non-Canadian content of CUSMA-compliant vehicles from the United States.

“We must respond with both purpose and force. We are a free, sovereign, and ambitious country. We are masters in our own home,” Carney said.

Carney said that Trump’s tariffs will fundamentally change the global trading system.

1:50 B.C. businesses concerned over trade war