Thursday October 23, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
Opinion-Editorial – by Kim Haakstad, President & CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries
Posted by Island Social Trends
In the context of a struggling forestry sector due to recently even higher duties and tariffs on softwood lumber products exported to the United States, on October 23 the President & CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) Kim Haakstad issued the following statement in response to ongoing mill curtailments.
The statement calls for prioritization of forestry in federal trade negotiations and strong supports from the BC provincial government.
COFI Statement on Recent Mill Curtailments
“The recent increase in U.S. tariffs and duties is a serious blow to an industry already strained by years of uncertainty, mill closures, and job losses. The federal government must make resolving the softwood lumber dispute a national priority.
“At the same time, the provincial government must act decisively to stabilize the sector in BC—ensuring mills stay open, people stay employed, and forestry continues to anchor rural, urban and First Nations communities across the province.
“Forestry supports tens of thousands of good jobs, generates billions in economic activity, and underpins reconciliation and rural stability. Protecting that future requires immediate federal leadership on softwood lumber and provincial measures to get wood moving, strengthen competitiveness, and restore confidence in this foundational industry.
“Every day without progress means more families, workers, and communities are put at risk. We need renewed collaboration, leadership, and urgency from governments and all forestry partners and stakeholders to get people back to work and secure the future of forestry in British Columbia.”
===== RELATED:
- Forestry sector challenges get more airtime in BC Legislature (October 21, 2025)
- Softwood lumber duties & tariffs now 45%; Eby calls for federal urgency to support the sector (October 14, 2025)
- NEWS SECTIONS: FORESTRY | 43rd BC PARLIAMENT