'Riskier than doing nothing': Softwood lumber package may hurt Canada's case with U.S.

When the federal government sets out to bolster a sector already under fire for getting too much of a boost, it has to tread carefully.

... Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr tried to explain how his softwood lumber action plan was an "appropriate response" to U.S. countervailing duties.

Right on cue, the U.S. lobby driving the new levies called it a "new government subsidy" that "further tilts the trade scale."

The upshot? Don't expect a softwood lumber deal anytime soon. The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) may get harder too.

This was excerpted from the 7 June 2017 edition of CBC News.