As a broad supporter of free trade, the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) has welcomed the signing of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union.
The sector will benefit from the eventual elimination of European tariffs on some wood panels such as particle board, oriented strand board and plywood of up to 10%.
"The forest products industry has always relied on exports for its prosperity and growth and we certainly appreciate the federal government's ongoing commitment to free trade," says the President and CEO of FPAC, David Lindsay. "We are working hard to diversify markets and increase our trade to help reach the ambitious goals of our Vision2020 initiative and as part of that we welcome closer trade relations with Europe."
Under Vision2020, Canada's forest product industry is vying to generate an additional $20 billion in new revenue through new products and new markets by the end of the decade. Last year the Canadian forest sector exported more than $1 billion of wood, pulp and paper products to the EU member states. This is 4% of total exports of Canadian forest products making Europe the 3rd largest international market for the sector. The largest importers of Canadian forest products in Europe are the United Kingdom followed by Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and France.
