Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC), issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian products destined for the United States:
“Canada and the United States have a long-standing relationship rooted in friendship and a shared desire to secure a strong North American economy for Canadian and American families. Today’s tariff announcement is disappointing and it’s going to hurt on both sides of the border.
For home building, the United States can only meet about 70% of its own needs – not considering the need to build even more affordable housing for American families and to urgently rebuild communities in North Carolina hit hard by Hurricane Helen and those around Los Angeles recently devastated by fires. This is work Canadians and Americans can do together. These tariffs will drive up costs and complicate recovery.
Americans also rely on Canadian forest products for further manufacturing – to make everyday household and industrial products like packaging, diapers, hygiene products, paper towels, toilet paper, magazines, and specialty paper.
It’s not only the close proximity that makes Canada and the U.S. great partners in forest products trade, but it’s also the unique quality of the wood and wood fibre-based products that come out of Canada’s northern, colder, longer growing cycle forests.
We encourage our federal and provincial leaders to continue their work with the U.S. Administration to have these tariffs removed.
In the immediate, our priority is to work with the Government of Canada in support of our sector’s employees and their families and the forest-dependent communities they call home.”
FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. As an industry with annual revenues exceeding $87.2B, Canada’s forest products sector is one of the country’s largest employers—providing 200,000 direct jobs and operating in hundreds of communities across the country. Our members are committed to collaborating with Indigenous leaders, government bodies, and other key stakeholders to develop a cross-Canada action plan aimed at advancing forest health, while supporting workers, communities and our environment for the long term.
