Canada’s forest products sector has gained a direct seat at the table as Ottawa prepares for the next stage of Canada–U.S. trade strategy.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a new Advisory Committee on Canada–U.S. Economic Relations, with Susan Yurkovich, president and CEO of Canfor, and Luc Thériault, president of Domtar’s pulp and wood products division, among its members. The committee is chaired by Dominic LeBlanc and is scheduled to hold its first meeting on April 27, 2026.

Why Forest Products Representation Matters

For Canada’s pulp, paper, lumber, and wood products industries, the U.S. market is not just another export destination.

It is a core part of the industry’s commercial structure.

Cross-border access affects:

• lumber pricing,
• pulp shipments,
• mill investment decisions,
• fiber demand,
• employment in forest communities,
• and long-term capacity planning.

That is why the inclusion of Canfor and Domtar executives is significant. It places two major forest-sector voices inside a federal forum designed to advise on Canada’s broader economic relationship with the United States.

CUSMA Review Raises the Stakes

The advisory committee is being formed as Canada approaches the next review of the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement, known in Canada as CUSMA. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the committee will provide expertise and strategy on the Canada–U.S. economic relationship as Canada seeks to protect its trade position.

For the forest products sector, this timing matters.

Canadian producers continue to face long-running U.S. trade friction, especially around softwood lumber. Even when pulp and paper products are not always the headline issue, the broader trade environment affects freight flows, customer confidence, capital allocation, and market access.

A Signal of Sector-Level Pressure

The appointment of Yurkovich and Thériault comes at a difficult moment for Canada’s forest industry.

Across the country, producers are dealing with:

• U.S. duties and trade uncertainty,
• high operating costs,
• fiber supply constraints,
• mill closures and curtailments,
• and pressure to modernize aging assets.

In this context, forest products representation on the committee is not symbolic. It gives the sector a channel to explain how trade policy affects real mills, workers, contractors, and regional economies.

What Canfor and Domtar Bring to the Table

Canfor brings direct exposure to lumber and wood products markets, where U.S. trade access remains critical.

Domtar brings major experience in pulp and wood products, including markets affected by demand shifts, cost inflation, and industrial competitiveness.

Together, these companies represent different but connected parts of the forest value chain: sawmilling, pulp production, wood products, logistics, and customer supply.

That matters because trade policy rarely affects only one segment. A tariff or barrier in one part of the chain can quickly influence fiber pricing, mill economics, and investment behavior across the sector.

Final Thought

Canada’s new advisory committee is being built for a moment of pressure.

For pulp and paper, lumber, and wood products, the key question is not only how Canada manages the CUSMA review. It is whether forest-sector competitiveness can be protected in a trade environment that is becoming more complex and less predictable.

With Canfor and Domtar executives now involved, Canada’s forest industry has a stronger voice in that discussion.

Last Updated on 24/04/2026 by Jota Machinery