British Columbia’s newly inked agreement to advance wood construction in China offers a much‑needed lifeline to the province’s lumber industry, but Premier David Eby warns that recovery will ultimately depend on long‑term structural reform and diversification.
Speaking at the BC Natural Resources Forum last night, Eby said the five‑year memorandum of understanding (MOU) — signed between B.C.’s Forests Ministry and China’s Ministry of Housing and Urban‑Rural Development — marks a meaningful step as the province works to expand its global reach.
The MOU expands joint research, development and promotion of tall‑wood and mass‑timber construction at a time when B.C. is absorbing the steepest impacts of U.S. softwood lumber duties in decades. A draft of Eby’s remarks, released ahead of the event, said punitive tariffs have had “devastating effects” on the province’s foundational industry, contributing to mill closures, job losses and shrinking community revenues.
“We are fighting on multiple fronts,” Eby told delegates in Prince George, citing long‑standing permitting delays, land‑use uncertainty and the need for deeper value‑added investment. “There are no quick fixes, but reform is overdue.”
He pointed to the new plan for the Nimpkish Valley on Vancouver Island, which was developed jointly by First Nations, industry and government, as a model for future forest management. Spanning 1,660 square kilometres near Alert Bay and Port McNeill, the plan has already delivered higher harvest levels, greater predictability for operators and stronger ecological protections.
“These results will take time,” Eby said. “But they are real, and they are the future of a sustainable industry.”
And then he highlighted India, revealing that his trade mission last week revealed huge potential for furniture manufacturers and upmarket house construction: “Minor changes in outreach could unlock major gains,” he said.
“The work around forestry is challenging, and it always feels too slow for the urgency of the threat,” he added. “But predictable land access, permit reform, value‑added investments and new trading relationships will deliver a better future for forestry.”
