EDMONTON — Alberta’s forestry minister says the province is disappointed the United States has decided to impose tariffs of up to 24 per cent on Canadian lumber.
Oneil Carlier says this is the fifth time the issue has been disputed since 1982.
He says in every case, international tribunals have ruled in Canada’s favour.
Carlier says Canada has been here before and will be successful again.
Paul Whittaker, president and CEO of the Alberta Forest Products Association, says the accusations by the United States are “baseless and unfounded.”
He says the industry is concerned about job losses and says other markets, such as Asia, won’t make up for the loss of the U.S. market.
“We are fearful this could have an impact on jobs,” Whittaker said Tuesday.
“This actually feels a bit like Groundhog Day. It’s round five. We had anticipated this and we probably were facing a challenge no matter who the U.S. administration was.”