(Vancouver, BC) – Kim Haakstad, President & CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI) issued the following statement:
“Our thoughts are first and foremost with the workers, families and communities impacted by the indefinite curtailment of the mill. These difficult decisions have consequences that extend well beyond a single facility, affecting contractors, suppliers, and local businesses throughout the forest-sector value chain.
BC’s forest sector is facing extraordinary pressures. In particular, the pulp sector has been hit with reduced demand from Asia, sustained weak global prices, and increasing costs and constraints on local wood supply. While we cannot control market cycles or trade disputes, we can improve the conditions for forestry here at home. That starts with a focus on competitiveness. BC needs more predictable and economic access to wood supply and a regulatory and cost environment that keeps mills operating and attracts investment.
Pulp mills are an integral part of BC’s forest-sector value chain, using residual chips and other fibre from sawmills to maximize the value we get from every tree. Industry stands ready to work with government to reverse the trend of closures and curtailments in the pulp sector. Improving the conditions within our control will help make BC forestry more resilient, protect jobs and communities, and better position the sector to withstand changing global markets.”
Key Facts
- Since 2023, at least 21 BC lumber mills have closed permanently or indefinitely.
- In addition, 4 pulp mills have closed or curtailed in the last 9 months.
- More than 15,000 forestry jobs have been lost since 2022.
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Media Contact:
Travis Joern, Director of Communications, COFI
Joern@cofi.org