OTTAWA, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Canada's next U.S. ambassador plans to make settling a long-running fight with Washington over softwood imports a priority.
Michael Wilson, 68, was Finance minister under former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney for seven years. He also held other portfolios for a shorter time, including Industry, International Trade, and Science and Technology.
Wilson is best known for helping to broker the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement, the CBC said Thursday.
"Softwood lumber is clearly at the top of the heap," Wilson told the CBC. "The fact we don't have a resolution there is impacting the entire relationship."
U.S. softwood producers claim that because Canadian rivals get their wood from heavily subsidized federal land they have an unfair competitive advantage.
