After a recent meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross Jr. in Washington, New Brunswick’s Premier, Brian Gallant, said he remains cautiously optimistic that softwood lumber from his province will get an exemption from current tariffs.

New Brunswick producers have previously been exempt from softwood lumber duties, but the duties imposed in January apply a charge of 20.83 per cent to New Brunswick exporters, except for J.D. Irving, which pays 9.92 per cent. Lumber from other Atlantic provinces is exempt from the current duties.

According to an article in The Globe and Mail: “Gallant says he’s confident New Brunswick can get rid of the tariffs through litigation, but says that could take years, and some mills can’t wait that long.”

Read the full article here.