Still, she said, the uncertainty will be costly for lumber dealers and construction companies that struggle to turn a profit on lumber sales, with even bigger losses looming for companies already locked into price agreements with customers. "This certainly has everybody on edge".
"These unjust, unlawful duties that have just recently been announced, will absolutely hurt our middle class, the 57,000 hard-working men and women across rural and Northern Ontario, that depend on the forest sector for their livelihood", said Jamie Lim, president and CEO of the Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA). The housing market crash in 2008 cut demand for softwood lumber products such as pine 2x4 studs and other kinds of boards used to build homes, which are among the products affected by the administration's move.
Barack Obama's last envoy to Ottawa said the occasional disagreement is inevitable in a trade relationship worth C$841-billion annually - and it's unhelpful to wail about it through the media. "Any two countries are going to have issues that will be irritants to the relationship and, quite frankly, having a good constructive working relationship allows us to work through those irritants". "We are not as reliant on the USA market".
Western employs about 2,000 people and has most of its logging and sorting operations on Vancouver Island, including eight mills.
Canada imports over $550 million of USA dairy products annually.
"We are a ways away from seeing a bloodbath in the woods", he said.
Clark said during an election campaign it's important not to provoke the US with rash talk.
Emerson said that could change, and he worries about smaller firms that might not have the cash to pay duties to ship product.
"We are going to do everything we need to ... to make sure we get a deal". But Obama's USA trade representative, Michael Froman, now at the Council on Foreign Relations, says the Canadians made a decision to gamble on the new administration.
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The White House was also hoping for a revival of the failed health care efforts ahead of that marker. The spending package must be approved no later than Friday to avoid a government shutdown.
The impact of the dispute varies between Canadian regions, which have different lumber regimes.
At least 39 dairy farmers who sold to Grassland still were in search of buyers on Tuesday, Smith said. "It's egregious and awful, but it is what it is".
Gov. Scott Walker says he spoke with President Donald Trump about the almost 40 Wisconsin dairy farmers desperately seeking help after being dropped by their milk buyer following a Canadian policy change. Last year, the USA consumed 47 billion board feet of lumber and produced 32 billion. Speaking to a technology company in Ontario, Trudeau said he would defend the national interest, and cabinet colleagues were poised to speak to the media to outline Canada's possible responses to the tariffs later in the day.
The campaigns of all three major B.C. political parties focused on the dispute Tuesday.
"We are here for you. We are going to fight for you and we are not going to give up this fight until it is won".
Federal ministers are now fanning out across the USA, meeting people who benefit from Canadian trade.
"The average USA tariff barrier is about one and a half percent".
Lim said Quebec and British Columbia have appointed negotiators, as well. "She has not treated this issue with the urgency it deserves".
Canadian Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, in China to boost sales of softwood lumber, said there had never been a better time to diversify exports.
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