WASHINGTON (News release) - The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding President Donald Trump's announcement of 25% tariffs on all products from Canada and Mexico and related retaliatory measures:

"While we recognize the Administration's goals of securing our borders, AF&PA remains concerned that today's new North American tariffs have potential to seriously disrupt our industry's complex, cross-border supply chains. These manufacturing processes have been built and refined with the customer in mind around existing mill infrastructure for decades.

"Pulp and paper mills are strategically located across the United States to efficiently and sustainably create essential products for everyday use. From turning wood chips into pulp, pulp into base stock, and then transforming that raw material into a product that is then packaged for distribution, our industry's manufacturing process involves many stages that can each happen at different facilities on both sides of the border."

"Additionally, certain raw material inputs must be sourced from Canada due to specific fiber quality demands and transportation efficiencies.

"The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 people, largely in rural communities across the country. We rely on Canada and Mexico as key trading partners and strongly encourage them to continue addressing concerns raised by the U.S. government. We look forward to continued conversations with the Administration to highlight our industry's contributions to the American economy and workforce in an effort to avoid longer term disruption to U.S. pulp, paper and packaging manufacturing operations."