B.C. lumber industry on edge after Biden ups the ante on Buy American policies

British Columbia’s lumber business is anxiously parsing U.S. President Joe Biden’s newest Buy American language to raised perceive the implications for Canadian exporters.

The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says it is “concerning” that Biden says he needs to limit the usage of international lumber in federally funded infrastructure tasks.

Biden introduced the expanded guidelines throughout Tuesday’s state of the union speech on Capitol Hill.

The White House says it needs all development supplies for such tasks, together with copper, aluminum, lumber, glass, drywall and fibre-optic cable, to be made on American soil.

Council president Linda Coady says the U.S. was solely in a position to produce about 70 per cent of its general lumber demand in 2021, a niche she says was largely crammed by imports from Canada.

Canadian producers have lengthy been on the centre of a decades-long commerce dispute with the U.S. over anti-dumping duties it imposes on softwood lumber from north of the border.

“This is concerning and we are seeking to better understand what this means for Canadian producers,” Coady mentioned of Biden’s announcement.

“Our focus remains on working on both sides of the border to maximize the opportunity Canada has in providing the sustainably produced, low-carbon lumber products we know American homebuilders, consumers and construction workers want and need.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Feb. 9, 2023.