Local Conservative MP believes softwood lumber talks could get worse

Trade issues around softwood lumber between Canada and the United States still haven’t been resolved.

The American-side has said it will begin investigating whether Canadian practices result in an unfair advantage over their lumber producers.

Bob Zimmer, Conservative MP for Prince George, Peace River, and the Northern Rockies, says previous American actions have led to big concerns.

Photo courtesy the Office of Bob Zimmer.

“It’s going to affect our area in the Northeast of the province dramatically and it’ll be concerns with what the future will bring for the forest industry in Canada. I know some of our lumber producers are going to be okay, but it’s the small producers that I’m concerned about.”

Zimmer says this will be a big item on the Federal Opposition’s agenda for 2017 as some of the bigger companies are deciding to migrate south of the border.

“From all signs that we’ve heard, it’s not going to get better before it gets worse. Some of the big Canadian multi-nationals now are hunkered down into the States with a lot of their assets.”

“They’re positioning for a long fight, and that’s concerning especially for those smaller producers.”

Zimmer will be heading to Washington DC for continued discussions in February.