Western Forest Products Curtails Lumber Production
Originally Published by: HBS Dealer — September 23, 2025
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Western Forest Products Inc. has announced planned temporary operating curtailments at its British Columbia sawmills during the fourth quarter of 2025.
WFP is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, with operations in the coastal region of B.C. and Washington state.
These curtailments, combined with temporary operating curtailments taken in the third quarter of 2025, will collectively reduce lumber production at its B.C. sawmills by approximately 50 million board feet in the second half of 2025, amounting to approximately 6 percent of the company’s annual lumber capacity.
The curtailments, according to the company, are in response to persistently weak market conditions, and due to significant increases in U.S. softwood lumber duties in August 2025.
Western Forest Products also says a lack of available economic log supply, ongoing harvesting permitting delays and the strike by the United Steelworkers Local 1-1937 at the company's La-kwa sa muqw Forestry Limited Partnership are contributing factors to the curtailments as well.
The temporary curtailments will be taken through a combination of reduced operating hours, an extended holiday break and reconfigured shifting schedules. The Chemainus sawmill, which was temporarily curtailed for the entire third quarter of 2025, will remain temporarily curtailed for the entire fourth quarter of 2025.
The company says it will continue to monitor market conditions and available log supply across its operations and will adjust operating schedules as needed.