August 25,2025
RED FM News Desk
B.C.’s forestry sector is bracing for the outcome of a U.S. Commerce Department investigation into wood product imports — a review that could lead to new tariffs on an industry already under pressure.
The probe follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision earlier this year to launch a Section 232 investigation into whether imports of timber, lumber, and related products pose a national security risk to the United States.
Experts warn that additional tariffs on B.C.’s softwood lumber sector — which is already facing duties of around 35 per cent — could trigger more mill closures and job losses. “Lumber is just one part of the equation. Tariffs could end up lower on lumber but higher on products like plywood, OSB, or pulp. We simply don’t know yet,” said Russ Taylor, a forestry consultant and analyst.
Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 allows U.S. officials to order the Secretary of Commerce to investigate whether imports threaten national security. The secretary then has 270 days to deliver a report and recommendations to the president.
Trump has previously used Section 232 investigations to impose tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos, and copper — measures that hit Canada especially hard, resulting in job losses and reduced exports.
The U.S. remains B.C.’s largest export market for lumber, accounting for more than two-thirds of its roughly $10-billion industry. Yet mill closures across the province have already eliminated thousands of jobs, while many forestry companies are opening new operations south of the border. Analysts note U.S. mills benefit in the short term by raising prices, but ultimately American homebuilders will pay more as Canadian imports become costlier due to tariffs and duties.
The Section 232 probe into wood imports was launched in March, the same week Trump ordered a similar investigation into copper. That copper review wrapped up in July, leading to a 50 per cent tariff on imported copper.
According to B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar, the province understands that Trump has already received the wood products report and may be gathering additional data before making it public. The results are expected by this fall at the latest. Parmar has also cautioned that the investigation could result not only in higher tariffs but also in quotas that restrict how much Canadian wood can enter the U.S.
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