POWELL RIVER, B.C.The provincial government says it’s working to protect the province’s paper industry.
It called a meeting with Catalyst Paper and other stakeholders in the community to discuss strategies to deal with U.S.-imposed duties today. The 28.25 per cent duties apply to Catalyst’s exports of newsprint, book publishing and printing papers. Premier John Horgan says the duties are unfair, and that he’s working alongside the federal government to support the forestry and newsprint industries by doing everything possible to ease their impact.
A number of high-ranking government officials were invited, including Green Party leader Andrew Weaver and opposition leader Andrew Wilkinson, as well as representatives from Catalyst and Unifor and local mayors. Catalyst Paper is B.C.’s only producer of newsprint, manufactured at mills in Powell River, Crofton, and Port Alberni, contributing 6,200 jobs to the economy. Coast FM has reached out to local elected representatives to get their thoughts on the meeting.
