Premier David Eby told reporters on Monday that after meeting with federal officials, he is cancelling a planned advertising campaign in the United States that was critical of lumber tariffs and duties.
“One of my commitments to the federal government was that if they came to the table with us, if they sat with us, that we would work with them on communications, on strategy, on how to support the sector and how to move forward,” he said.
The planned ads were to be released in November in an attempt to point out to Americans that tariffs are a tax on themselves and that the current 50-per-cent combined duties and tariffs mean Canadian softwood lumber faces more import fees than Russian fibre products.
Eby faced questions on whether the ads would go ahead after U.S. President Donald Trump took a hard line on an ad campaign released by Ontario that used a video of former president Ronald Reagan making anti-tariff remarks in 1987.
Trump threatened a 10-per-cent, across-the-board tariff hike on Canadian goods in response to those ads. Ontario Premier Doug Ford let the ads run during the first two World Series games before pulling them from the air.
Eby met with several federal officials on Monday (Nov. 3), including Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, but said the decision to pull the ads was his, and not a request from Ottawa.
“I knew that it was a source of anxiety for many people, including potentially the federal government, given the reaction to the Ontario tariffs,” Eby said.
Some commitments made on softwood file
The ministers whom Eby met with committed to creating a task force to discuss how to best support B.C.’s softwood lumber sector.
He wants the softwood industry to get the same attention as the auto, energy and aluminum industries — and for the lumber industry to get the same representation in trade negotiations.
“Just hearing again and again that those were the topics being discussed federally with the Americans was challenging,” Eby said.
While he did not secure any measurable concessions at the meetings, Eby said he put forth several proposals and noted that money from a $700-million liquidity support fund, announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney in August, seems to be finally flowing to businesses.
And after these talks, Eby said he is more confident the federal government understands the severity of the crisis facing B.C.’s timber industry and is committed to involving B.C. in any future trade negotiations with the U.S., which are now on pause as a result of the Ontario ads.
“I committed to the premier, obviously, that we would work with him and colleagues when and if those negotiations resume in the short term, to ensure that we’re buckled up,” LeBlanc said.
Calls for regulatory reform
B.C. Conservatives and forestry industry representatives welcomed the intergovernmental meetings, but also called for regulatory changes in addition to financial support and trade coordination.
Conservatives criticized Eby’s government for provincial red tape and forest mismanagement, arguing that, more than trade issues, this is why the industry only harvested a little over half of the annual allowable cut last year.
B.C. Council of Forest Industries president Kim Haakstad points out in a news release that B.C. is the highest-cost forestry jurisdiction in North America. She wants both the federal and provincial governments to take action to boost the industry in the face of trade pressure.
“To give companies a fighting chance to stay open, we need a coordinated federal–provincial work plan that strengthens competitiveness and sustains jobs in forest-dependent communities,” Haakstad said.
For the federal government, this involves creating a single-window access point for companies seeking financial support and ensuring provinces coordinate regionally on regulatory reform.
Provincially, she wants any new policies that add administrative burden to be paused, tenure-related costs reduced, and federal funding commitments matched.
“The path forward requires regulatory efficiency, more collaboration, and faster action from all levels of government,” Haakstad said.