Federal and provincial officials are gathering in Vancouver today for a forestry summit aimed at tackling the escalating trade dispute that has driven U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber above 50 per cent.

Federal Minister of Public Safety and Canada–U.S. Relations Dominic LeBlanc is joining B.C. Premier David Eby and provincial ministers responsible for forests and jobs to discuss measures to protect workers and businesses across the province’s struggling forestry sector.

The talks come after Washington imposed a new round of anti-dumping and countervailing duties this fall, raising total fees on Canadian lumber shipments from roughly 26 per cent to as high as 57 per cent. U.S. officials have justified the tariffs by alleging Canada’s forestry practices pose a threat to American national security — a claim Canadian officials strongly reject.

B.C.’s government says its priority is to secure stronger federal support for an industry that provides tens of thousands of jobs across rural and northern communities. The province’s forestry producers and unions have warned that the current trade pressures are putting local economies at risk.

The B.C. Council of Forest Industries, representing businesses, unions, and community groups, urged both levels of government last month to treat the lumber dispute with the same urgency applied to U.S. trade conflicts involving steel, aluminum, and energy.