Zoltan van Heyningen, Executive Director of the Coalition, contends that decades of Canadian excess capacity have undermined American forestry communities. He maintains that the current administration’s enforcement of trade law provides the stability required for domestic firms to expand their operations. According to the Coalition, this policy shift is critical for achieving national self-sufficiency in raw materials for homebuilding.

Van Heyningen explicitly rejected claims that the trade measures target Canadian workers, characterizing them instead as a defensive move against market dumping. The Coalition represents a broad alliance of producers and woodland owners, claiming their advocacy supports 1.3 million jobs within the United States. By restricting access to the U.S. market, the group aims to finalize a transition away from reliance on foreign softwood, positioning the current tariff regime as a permanent fixture for protecting domestic supply lines.