Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies MP Bob Zimmer is pointing the finger at the federal government for two recent Canfor sawmill closures.
“After nine years, Justin Trudeau and the NDP have failed working Canadians,” Zimmer said in a statement Friday. “This was again made clear after Canfor Corp announced they were shutting two sawmills in northern British Columbia, affecting 500 workers. These job losses will be devastating for the small communities of Vanderhoof and Fort St. John.
“This happened because Justin Trudeau failed to reach an agreement with the Americans, resulting in the United States doubling tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. Earlier this month, the United States increased softwood lumber tariffs from 8.05 percent to 14.45 percent, putting thousands of jobs on the line. In fact, when Canfor made this announcement, they made clear that these tariffs hurt the ability of their business to continue operating, saying “punitive” tariff increases were the final blow. On top of this, radical NDP policies have devastated the forestry sector in British Columbia.”
Zimmer said when Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper was first elected, he negotiated a deal with the Americans within his first 80 days. Three years later, however, the U.S. imposed duties on Canadian lumber.