Canadian lumber producers are pivoting toward India in the wake of Trump’s tariffs, with British Columbia Premier David Eby and Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon leading a formal delegation to Bangalore. The six‑day visit marks B.C.’s most significant outreach to India in years and signals a strategic effort to diversify exports of liquefied natural gas, critical minerals, and ‘sustainable wood products.’
Wood Central understands that the January 12–17 mission comes mere months after B.C.’s largest forestry delegation returned from South Korea and Japan after inking three major export agreements. Both Canada and India are seeking to rebuild trade ties after a two‑year freeze, with each looking to reduce dependence on U.S. markets and supply chains disrupted by tariffs.
“With unjustified tariffs from the U.S. impacting B.C. workers and businesses, it’s more important than ever to deepen strategic relationships with international partners,” Eby told Reuters today, adding that India offered “enormous opportunities for trade.” Eby said the mission’s goal is to build relationships with Indian companies “so that we’re able to facilitate agreements and business relationships to create jobs for British Columbians and support India.”
“We have initiated dialogue with India after a gap of two years and are very keen on partnering with the country across various sectors like technology, education, clean technology, mining, and critical minerals,” Kahlon said. “We are in India to explore opportunities and understand first-hand what the country needs from us and what we can take from them.”
According to Kahlon, British Columbia is well-positioned to serve India’s booming furniture sector, rapid urbanisation, and growing preference for certified, sustainably sourced timber in premium interior products. India’s timber‑import market has surged in recent years, driven by explosive growth in furniture manufacturing and a shift toward higher‑quality softwoods — a trend that aligns closely with B.C.’s strengths in lumber, engineered wood and mass‑timber systems.
As it stands, India is accelerating its push toward low‑carbon construction, with national housing agencies and several state governments exploring mass‑timber demonstration projects, green building materials and prefabricated systems to reduce emissions and speed up housing delivery. Those priorities mirror B.C.’s own mass‑timber strategy and the province’s efforts to position engineered wood as a low‑carbon alternative to concrete and steel across the Indo‑Pacific.
Wood Central understands that the mission includes meetings with government officials, industry leaders and potential buyers across Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bangalore, with discussions expected to cover investment, supply chains and long‑term cooperation in clean technology and resource development. As B.C. scales up its mass‑timber and sustainable materials sector, India is increasingly becoming a strategic, high‑growth market — and a central pillar of the province’s Indo‑Pacific ambitions.
- To learn why Canada is looking to global markets to increase production of mass timber six-fold over the next 20 years, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from June 2024.
