Newfoundland and Labrador may be least affected province, but U.S. tariffs still a concern

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeAtlantic CanadaBusinessNewfoundland & Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador may be least affected province, but U.S. tariffs still a concern One NL lumber company says it would like to sell its products in America once again, but won’t right now Author of the article: By Gary Kean  •  The Telegram Published Aug 26, 2026 5 minute read While its products are currently sold only in Canada, Burton's Cove Logging and Lumber Ltd. in Hampden, NL would like to see the tariff situation resolved so it can return to selling into the American marketplace too. PHOTO BY THE TELEGRAM/FILE PHOTO Article content A few short years ago, Burton’s Cove Logging and Lumber Ltd. was selling some of its products into the United States. Article content Not anymore, though the company would like to still be doing that. Article content Article content The sawmill based in Hampden on Newfoundland’s west coast got out of the American marketplace when the threat of tariffs on softwood lumber products became a concern shortly after President Donald Trump was elected in 2024. Article content Article content Like many industries and businesses faced with tariffs being imposed at the behest of Trump, Burton’s Cove Logging and Lumber began concentrating on the domestic Canadian market. Article content “We could get good value for it there, but since this administration now, our sellers have backed off the American market because to pay for tariffs and duties that we’d be required to pay would carve out too much of our margin,” Kyle Osmond, Burton’s Cove Logging and Lumber’s operations manager, said in an interview. “Our margins are pretty lean in this industry as it is. Once you start taking 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 per cent off the top, it starts to hurt pretty bad.” Article content The latest escalation in the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S. is not affecting the company at the moment but it is still causing concern. That’s because the Canadian sawmilling industry, explained Osmond, already produces more product than what the Canadian market demands. Article content “Even if you’re not in the U.S. market, it’s going to put a lot of strain on the Canadian market because every mill is going to be looking first to Canadian buyers to buy their products and, ultimately, it’s going to greatly impact price for a whole bunch of folks like us,” he said. Article…