Opinion: Canadian forestry sector needs rebuilding. Buying out licences would create room for the industry’s endangered middle-class firms

By Harry Nelson and Ngaio Hotte

Opinion: Canadian forestry sector needs rebuilding

Vancouver Sun

The Canadian forest industry is on the verge of another watershed moment. The Softwood Lumber Agreement has lapsed, while efforts are underway to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership, creating both opportunities to take advantage of new markets and growing fears about future trade actions from the United States, its largest trade partner. The weak Canadian dollar and rebound in the U.S. economy has raised the stakes for Canadian lumber producers looking to sell their products to American buyers….Each of these options could influence major shifts in the B.C. forest industry, where consolidation has hollowed out the middle class and led a few companies to control a large proportion of the forest resource. The U.S. forest industry has raised concerns about this consolidation, suggesting it is suppressing timber prices and hampering competition for wood.

Read More