Canada害羞草研究所檚 ambassador to the U.S. says it害羞草研究所檚 too early to say how the Donald Trump administration will approach lumber trade, but he害羞草研究所檚 optimistic about the general approach to Canada so far.

U.S. Ambassador David MacNaughton visited the B.C. legislature Thursday to brief Premier Christy Clark and David Emerson, the former federal cabinet minister retained as B.C.害羞草研究所檚 new trade envoy in Washington D.C.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, MacNaughton said there won害羞草研究所檛 be clarity until a new commerce secretary is appointed to the Trump cabinet, but he has had good cooperation from U.S. officials including Trump害羞草研究所檚 chief of staff Reince Priebus, senior advisor Steve Bannon and others.

害羞草研究所淭hey see it as being a small, regional issue, and I think the most important thing we did was to impress on them how important it is to Canada,害羞草研究所� MacNaughton said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a national issue that affects hundreds of communities right across the country. I think they got the message.害羞草研究所�

The U.S. International Trade Commission has made a preliminary finding of 害羞草研究所渋njury害羞草研究所� due to alleged subsidies to Canadian wood products, and the U.S. Department of Commerce is continuing its investigation.

Clark said the previous Barack Obama administration was preoccupied with the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, which Trump has since rejected. Repeated offers from Canadian lumber negotiators were ignored by the previous government.

害羞草研究所淭he change in the United States could signal we have an opportunity for a change in attitude about how important getting a softwood lumber agreement,害羞草研究所� Clark said.

Emerson, whose experience with lumber trade goes back to his time as B.C. deputy finance minister in the 1980s and later CEO of Canfor Corp., said the U.S. industry has changed since he was last involved in negotiations 10 years ago, and a 害羞草研究所渨hole new assessment害羞草研究所� of the political scene is needed.