TORONTO – The United Steelworkers union (USW) is denouncing the latest escalation in Donald Trump’s trade war, following his September 29 proclamation imposing a 10% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber exports to the United States. The new tariff, taking effect October 14, comes on top of the existing 35.16% countervailing and anti-dumping duties already imposed on Canadian lumber. In total, Canadian softwood lumber shipments worth more than $7.7 billion annually will now face duties exceeding 45% at the U.S. border.
“For decades, Canadian lumber has supported the U.S. housing market, keeping construction costs down for American families while sustaining good jobs here at home,” said Marty Warren, USW National Director. “Instead of recognizing that reality, Trump has chosen to pursue reckless trade policies that will drive up housing prices in the United States and put tens of thousands of Canadian jobs at risk.”
Warren emphasized that this dispute is not only about economics but about the survival of communities that depend on forestry. The Steelworkers say Trump’s actions deliberately ignore the integrated nature of the North American lumber market, where Canadian exports are essential to meeting U.S. demand and keeping homes affordable.
Jeff Bromley, Chair of the USW Wood Council, underscored the toll on workers and communities across the country. “Our members have endured wave after wave of unjustified and unfair U.S. trade actions, and now this new tariff piles on top of duties that were already punishing our industry. With nearly half the value of every Canadian lumber shipment being siphoned off at the border, sawmills, logging operations and whole towns in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Québec and Atlantic Canada are facing devastating consequences. Workers and their families should not have to carry the cost of Trump’s reckless politics.”
The Steelworkers are urging the federal government to respond with urgency and resolve. “Canada cannot afford to keep playing defence in the face of these attacks,” Warren said. “Workers expect their government to hold the line in negotiations, to provide immediate support for communities under pressure, and to deliver a real industrial strategy that secures the future of Canadian-made wood and forest products.”
The USW, which represents 14,000 forestry workers across Canada, reaffirmed its commitment to fight for jobs and for a fair deal that protects Canadian industries from unjustified U.S. trade actions.
About the United Steelworkers union
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
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