The heavily interconnected B.C. forestry sector is facing a crisis as 25 mills have ceased operating this year, leaving more than 6,000 people out of work.
To the end of August, the cascading series of mill closures and production curtailments translated into an 11-per-cent drop in the volume of lumber exports, according to trade figures from B.C. Stats.
By value, the loss appears deeper with the $3.4 billion in export sales reported by the statistical agency representing a 25-per cent decline from the same eight months of 2018, which is also weighing on B.C.’s prospects for economic growth.
And the decline in forestry shipments was the biggest reason driving a 5.3-per-cent decline in B.C.’s overall exports to the end of August.
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