Whereas tariffs and other international market challenges have created uncertainty across the forestry sector and duties and tariffs combine to exceed 45 on Canadian lumber entering the US market making our forest sector less competitive and endangering jobs; And whereas wildfire and other climate change related challenges are increasingly threatening the health and sustainability of Canadian forests: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urges the federal government to appoint a federal minister to actively support the Canadian forestry sector through resolving the softwood lumber dispute, procurement policies requiring companies contracting with the federal government to source Canadian lumber first and aggressively increase work to open new markets to Canadian forest products with all international partners.
