Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests, has issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s release of preliminary results of the seventh administrative review of its anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on Canadian softwood lumber:

“British Columbia stands with all those across Canada in our disappointment that the United States has signalled that it will continue to impose unwarranted and unfair duties on Canadian softwood lumber products.

“These duties serve only to damage both of our economies by harming B.C. and Canadian communities, and increasing the cost of housing and renovations for American families. 

“Duties on Canadian softwood lumber needlessly favour offshore imports that endanger North American jobs across the supply chain. Workers in B.C., in Canada and in the United States are worse off from duties on softwood lumber.

“We will continue to defend B.C.’s forestry sector and the hardworking people in it from the punitive duties and tariffs imposed by the United States.”