B.C.’s forestry sector would have been brought to its knees Friday by new American duties on Canadian softwood lumber, if it wasn’t already flat on its back from being hammered by years of provincial government policies.

The U.S. Department of Commerce hiked the anti-dumping rate to 20.56 per cent, up from the 7.66 per cent rate set three years ago. The total impact on Canadian softwood lumber is expected to be as high as 35 per cent, once the Americans finalize additional countervailing duties on Aug. 8.

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar called it a “gut punch” for the industry. A more apt description would be kicking forest companies when they’re already down and curled up in the fetal position.

“We're really concerned about the impact,” Kim Haakstad, president of the BC Council of Forest Industries (COFI), told CKNW’s Jas Johal.

“What we're focused on is trying to keep forestry workers employed and communities strong.”

For decades, Canada and the U.S. have fought over softwood lumber, with the Americans repeatedly slapping duties on B.C. wood as part of a long-running trade dispute.

But even before the new duties, B.C.’s forestry sector was in a crisis.

Annual harvest volumes are down by tens of millions of........

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