The U.S. Department of Commerce is applying import tariffs of between three and 24 per cent on softwood lumber imports from Canada, with the vast majority of Canada's small and medium-sized softwood operations paying 19.88 per cent.
"The Ontario government fully supports our forestry sector and the critical role it plays in the success of the provincial economy", said Jim Peterson, Ontario's new softwood lumber representative in an emailed statement.
"We would have to have an auction", said Matt Gartman of the Phil-Mar-Ru dairy farm, which has been in business for seven generations. "Everyone thinks of Canada as being wonderful".
"If NAFTA were functioning properly, you wouldn't be having these kinds of very prickly and unfortunate events back to back", Ross said.
Canada said it was ready to come to talks on renewing NAFTA at any time.
Like manufacturing, the USA lumber industry has been shrinking for many years.
That led to an unusual scene.
Both Heyman and another Democratic ex-diplomat warned this could lead to a tit-for-tat dynamic, where Canada responds, the US counter-responds, things escalate and the countries settle scores instead of solving problems.
USA lumber representatives disputed that the duties would have a material impact on home prices. So industry groups in both states saw Monday's announcement as good news for communities with sawmills, and for loggers who supply them. In the meantime, they could mean an extra $370,000 or more a month for a single Canadian mill.
Instead, Canadian milk-producers had themselves negotiated a "competitive" deal with local milk processers, he said.
That theory appeared to gain currency Tuesday.
On Monday the USA government announced tariffs averaging 20% on softwood lumber from the Canadian companies Canfor, J.D. Irving, Resolute FP Canada, Tolko Marketing and Sales and West Fraser Mills, applying retroactively for the previous 90 days.
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The Canadian government has been working on building such alliances.
"And we're not going to put up with it", Trump said during a round table today with farmers.
It didn't take long for Donald Trump's new tariffs on softwood lumber to echo in Ontario's Madawaska Valley - a forestry-dependent area nearly exactly 1,000 kilometres due north of the USA capital.
Trudeau - who had spent months courting the USA president - spoke by phone with Trump Tuesday evening.
The White House version was brief.
The two leaders also discussed the dispute over the Canadian dairy industry that Trump has recently highlighted.
Mr. Ross said the tariff would be applied retroactively and imposed on Canadian exports to the US of about $5 billion a year. "I'm polite, but I'm also very firm in defending Canada's interests", Trudeau told the broadcaster CTV.
"This decision will negatively affect workers on both sides of the border, and will ultimately increase costs for American families who want to build or renovate homes".
The same is true for Canadian softwood lumber. "The issue won't go away unless we adopt a more market-based way of setting stumpage fees off crown land and end restrictions on export of raw logs". "Hockey is not our favorite pastime", he said, referring to Americans.
Several former American diplomats urged the Canadian government to stay cool.
US President Donald Trump and Canada's PM Justin Trudeau. She said the sudden glare on Canada is probably an accident of happenstance - Trump was in Wisconsin, a softwood decision was due, and it's all happening with NAFTA negotiations set to start.
And it's not just the NAFTA talk. If Trump knows Trudeau can create messages that resonate with middle American consumers, he is likely to pare down his demands considerably. For example, he suggested reaching out through the Home and Garden network to homebuyers hurt by more expensive wood.
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