Highlights
- Canada grants Conifex Timber Inc. a $30 million loan via the LETL facility to help navigate market and trade pressures in Mackenzie, BC.
- Revised LETL facility provides enhanced liquidity and extended repayment terms for large employers facing ongoing trade uncertainty, aiming to safeguard jobs and competitiveness.
- Conifex Timber, employing 260 in Mackenzie and mainly exporting to the U.S., remains highly exposed to tariffs impacting Canada's $20 billion forest sector.

Amid continuing trade disputes in the forest sector, Canada is extending financial support to help companies manage short-term pressure and preserve operations. The assistance targets Conifex Timber Inc. in Mackenzie, British Columbia, where the company says tariff-related strain affects a business tied closely to exports to the U.S.

Loan support and program changes
As reported by Government of Canada, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne today highlights a $30 million loan to Conifex Timber Inc. through the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan facility. The funding is intended to help the company adapt to current market conditions, support workers and strengthen economic stability in Mackenzie, British Columbia.
The federal government says the support comes as it enhances the LETL facility for employers facing prolonged trade uncertainty. Changes to the program include greater liquidity support and longer repayment terms, measures aimed at helping businesses maintain operations, protect jobs and invest in longer-term competitiveness.

Regional and sector impact
Conifex Timber operates a sawmill and bioenergy plant in Mackenzie and supports 260 direct jobs. The company produces lumber products and renewable energy, using residuals from manufacturing to generate electricity sold to customers including BC Hydro.
With most of its products exported to the U.S., Conifex is particularly exposed to tariffs and other trade actions imposed by the United States. The broader forest sector remains a significant contributor to the Canadian economy, supporting nearly 200,000 workers, including more than 11,000 Indigenous people, and contributing more than $20 billion to national GDP.

In our earlier article, we covered Canada’s push for a deeper strategic partnership with the European Union ahead of the October summit, aimed at strengthening co-operation on economic security, critical minerals, energy, research and digital technology. We also noted that Ottawa and Brussels were simultaneously trying to narrow a range of trade frictions—from tariffs to carbon-border and product-rule disputes—highlighting how trade policy and market access remain central to Canada’s economic positioning.


Source: tradersunion.com