Ward Stamer (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

SOFTWOOD LUMBER

‘The least they could do’; Forest critic underwhelmed by government response to new US tariffs

Oct 1, 2025 | 4:15 PM

KAMLOOPS — This week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs, applying a 25 per cent tax on furniture and 10 per cent on softwood lumber.

British Columbia is the second largest exporter of softwood to the United States.

With the new tariffs set to take affect on October 14, the forestry sector is bracing for more uncertain times and instability in the market. It comes as multiple mills, including Aspen Planers in Merritt, have faced indefinite curtailments.

“You look at Chemainus, they had an indefinite closure a few months ago and now it’s probably going to be permanent. That is going to be devastating for the town and their outlying regions,” said Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer, the opposition Conservative critic for forests. “And then you think of some of the larger manufacturing facilities like Teal-Jones down in Maple Ridge. That is 1,000 people that Teal-Jones is employing and I know they are in trouble, as well as everybody else in the industry. The dominoes are starting to fall and I’m hoping the forest minister does have some significant changes he is going to be able to share with us.”

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In response to the tariffs, the B.C. government announced that it will be applying a two-month pause on timber-harvest bill payments, while advocating for federal relief dollars to be distributed across the province.

“It’s the least that they could do because, quite frankly, I’m sure it might help with cashflow in the short-term but it certainly not going to be addressing the long-term challenges we have in this industry,” said Stamer.

“We all have to do our very best, to really put our collective thinking caps on to try to work our way through this,” added Stamer. “Industry has given government many different opportunities on ideas and proposals and policy changes to be able to make this go forward. Unfortunately, all we are getting basically back from the ministry is crickets.”