A special hearing is held in Ottawa this week regarding the softwood lumber trade dispute between the US and Canada.
In the letter requesting the meeting, Conservative MP Randy Hoback wrote that softwood lumber was an important part of Canada's forest sector, and noted that the country's softwood lumber producers rely on the exports they send to the U.S., according to CTV News.
The Conservatives also asked for a briefing on the negotiations status.
At the moment, the U.S. and Canada are in a one-year standstill period after the softwood lumber trade deal between the two nations expired last October. In March, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed a 100-day negotiation period, but no resolution had been achieved when the deadline passed in June.
A joint Canada-U.S. statement released on June 29 said important progress had been made towards a potential new deal, but significant differences remained. Once the standstill expires, the US producers can ask for new duties on the Canadian lumber shipments.
