British Columbia is opening a new Forestry Innovation Investment (FII) office in London, England, as part of efforts to diversify its forestry sector and strengthen global trade relationships.
The London office will serve as a hub for B.C.’s forest industry to expand its market presence across the United Kingdom and Europe. Forestry Innovation Investment, a B.C. Crown corporation, will work with industry partners to promote the province’s high-quality, sustainable wood products and develop new opportunities in emerging wood construction markets.
The U.K. is Europe’s largest importer of softwood lumber and is turning increasingly to wood as a low-carbon, cost-efficient building material. With growing demand for prefabricated housing and government targets for 1.5 million new homes over five years, B.C. sees a significant opportunity to help meet that need.
The new London office will complement FII’s network of international offices in China, India, and Vietnam, as well as industry-led offices in Japan and South Korea. The expansion supports B.C.’s strategy to reduce reliance on the U.S. market and strengthen trade ties with Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.
B.C.’s forestry exports to the U.K. also benefit from the Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement, which eliminates tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber and forest products.
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