Wood sales sought overseas

Trade missions told to find non-U.S. softwood markets

OTTAWA • The softwood lumber dispute with the United States has pushed Ottawa to send orders to more than 30 foreign trade missions to begin aggressively seeking new and more diverse markets for Canadian lumber and other building products.

Jim Peterson, the Minister of International Trade, also raised the subject with his Indian counterpart on a recent trip to the country last week promoting Canadian technology, officials in his department said yesterday.

“ We are not unaware of new markets around the world that are expanding at great rates,” Mr. Peterson said yesterday after a meeting with U. S. Ambassador David Wilkins to discuss the softwood lumber trade dispute. “We know there are opportunities for Canadian producers there and we want to see a Canadian footprint in those markets.”

Other countries with which officials are to begin aggressively pursuing deeper trade ties are Japan, Mexico, Britain, France, Australia, Germany, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, which Mr. Peterson also visited last week while en route to India.

The Department is also looking to add staff in “key markets abroad” to help Canadian lumber and building supply firms make links with foreign consumers.

Departmental officials say these, and similar, recent talks with the Chinese to buy more Canadian lumber are part of an effort to lessen reliance on U. S. markets after that country’s refusal to recognize the ruling of a North American Free Trade panel. The panel ruled that levies on lumber imports were in violation of the trade pact.