Lumber awaiting shipment is seen stacked at the Gorman Brothers Lumber sawmill, in West Kelowna, B.C., on Aug. 5. In the wake of timber constraints in Canada, especially in B.C., Canadian sawmills have seen their market share of U.S. lumber consumption steadily erode over the past nine years.

The U.S. Lumber Coalition is alleging that $1.2-billion in supports for Canada’s softwood industry announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney last month constitutes unfair subsidies.

Ottawa’s financial package includes $700-million in loan guarantees to help lumber producers in Canada with restructuring operations and $500-million in grants and contributions in a bid to diversify markets and reduce dependence on the United States.

In the latest round of the long-running softwood trade fight, which d

See Full Page