B.C. finance minister criticizes U.S. protectionism as lumber dispute looms
VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s finance minister says he’s worried that United States president-elect Donald Trump’s protectionist talk will turn into policy when it comes to softwood lumber.
Mike de Jong said that while he has no idea what the incoming Trump administration will act upon, its rhetoric has certainly been focused on shielding the U.S. from foreign competition.
“There are protectionists in the U.S. who have repeatedly sought to deny American consumers access to the forest products … that we produce more efficiently than anyone else,” he told a news conference Tuesday. “They don’t like the competition. And we’re seeing that again.”
A U.S. trade commission ruled last week that Canadian lumber products are harming American producers, setting the stage for the imposition of duties that could cause job losses and plant closures north of the border.