NEWS RELEASE: Alberta Forestry Heads to Asia Amid Soaring U.S. Tariffs

Canada’s forest industry has been bruised by U.S. trade barriers this year. The combination of softwood lumber duties and section 232 tariffs results in a staggering 45 per cent tax on Canadian lumber coming into the U.S., artificially pricing us out of a market that takes almost 50% of what is produced in Alberta.

Market diversification isn’t just smart business anymore—it’s an economic imperative.

This Friday, Alberta’s Minister of Forestry & Parks, Todd Loewen, and a delegation from Canada Wood and both the Alberta and B.C. forest industries are wheels up on a critical trade mission to Japan and South Korea to strengthen relationships and grow market demand for our sustainable wood products.

Few markets hold higher standards for quality products than Japan and South Korea—and Alberta can deliver. Our cold climate and short growing season give our trees long fibres and tight growth rings, resulting in wood that is exceptionally strong, stable, and lightweight.

With rapidly expanding prefabricated wood housing sectors and increasing demand for low-carbon, sustainable building solutions, both Japan and South Korea are sourcing only from producers who can meet their exacting sustainability standards—standards that Alberta’s forest sector proudly delivers on. By growing 3 trees for every 1 tree harvested, Alberta’s sustainable forest industry ensures that our forests remain healthy and resilient for generations to come.

This delegation was ahead of the trade storm last year when Minister Loewen built on the decade-long partnership with Canada Wood and led the Alberta forestry trade mission to Japan in the fall of 2024. The benefits of that mission are already manifesting, with return visits from the Japan Forest Technology Association and the Japan 2×4 Home Builders Association, demonstrating great interest in what Alberta can offer.

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About the Alberta Forest Products Association

The Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) is a non-profit association that has represented the sustainable forest industry in Alberta since 1942. We foster success and innovation in the forest sector by providing a broad range of resources, guidance, and training for member companies, and we’re also responsible for increasing public understanding of our forest resource and how the forest industry maintains it.

We’re closely engaged with our members, the community at large, and other forest stakeholders, including governments, representatives from other industries in Alberta, such as teachers, students, and NGOs. Our goal is to make this industry the best it can be, and to fulfill that responsibility with transparency, integrity, and accountability.

For more information, contact:

Aspen Dudzic, Director of Communications
M: 780.996.4377
adudzic@albertaforestproducts.ca