Changes in B.C. Manufactured Forest Products Regulations to Help Domestic Production and Create Jobs

The provincial government of British Columbia has announced changes to the Manufactured Forest Products Regulation (MFPR) around export requirements for sawn-wood products and lumber made from western red cedar or cypress go into effect September 30, 2020. These changes are intended to increase the amount of processing of wood products done within British Columbia, leading to more B.C. jobs, rather than having that processing done after export. Under the amended MFPR, the maximum dimension of lumber to be considered a sawn-wood product will be 0.1 square meters (approximately 12 inches by 12 inches). This will require further domestic processing of lumber prior to being eligible for export. Additionally, the regulation amendments will require that in the Coast area, lumber that is made from western red cedar or cypress must be fully manufactured. Products that do not meet these new criteria will require a provincial export permit and payment of a fee in lieu of manufacture to be eligible for export. Under the current regulation, which went into effect in 2003, logs that are squared off up to a maximum dimension of 0.2 square meters (approximately 17 inches by 17 inches) are categorized as a sawn-wood product and may be exported without further manufacture.