Evidence of meeting #63 for International Trade in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was lumber.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Tom Sundher  President, Sundher Group Of Companies
Darshan Singh Sahsi  Managing Director, Canam International

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS

Yes.

Mr. Sundher, on the importation, you've been pretty clear that you're shipping all softwoods into India, but specifically the spruce, pine, and firs, and some west coast cedar as well.

With the use of hardwood, in North America we would typically blend that usage, softwood and hardwood. For instance, in building a staircase, it's not unusual to use a hardwood tread and a softwood riser.

Is that an educational problem in India, that we have to convince the Indians that this material actually does work, that you can work the two of them together, use softwood only or actually blend them together?

4:25 p.m.

President, Sundher Group Of Companies

Tom Sundher

That's going to be our challenge. The Indian user doesn't know the qualities of our wood. I think there's an opportunity in some places to either blend it or use it only.

Hardwoods are better than softwoods. That's an education process that we're hopefully going to start on with a technical adviser, a Canadian and a very qualified person named Brian Leslie, who's going to be working with FII. I've already sent him out to some of the manufacturers that are using our wood for different uses. He's going to be working with them on just those things.

4:25 p.m.

Conservative

Gerald Keddy Conservative South Shore—St. Margaret's, NS

Finally, I would congratulate both of you on your work with India, particularly in the lumber business. I have a pretty good background in the forestry industry. When you're facing 22% tariff and you're still willing to try to work there, good for you.

4:30 p.m.

President, Sundher Group Of Companies

Tom Sundher

Well, everybody thinks I'm a fool, actually—

4:30 p.m.

Voices

Oh, oh!

4:30 p.m.

President, Sundher Group Of Companies

Tom Sundher

—for working on it for 15 years. But I think the time is coming now. Everything has its time, I hope.

4:30 p.m.

Managing Director, Canam International

Darshan Singh Sahsi

[Inaudible--Editor]...there is a problem. That's why in terms of our hardwood, there is an opportunity for us. I already sent one container of Canadian red oak to India. It's still there. It cost me, I think, 1,600 rupees a square foot. It's still there. I was trying to make 100 or 200 rupees, but I am not able to sell it.

I'm also working on the wood. We also have a factory in Surrey, B.C. We make kitchen cabinet doors out of maple and oak. They are very good doors. We make almost 700 doors every day. We're a fully computerized factory. We're trying to export those doors to India. I built my own house and I put maple doors in my house. I'm showing those doors to people. We're doing so many things.

Over the last year or so, there's been a case with the Indian government in the supreme court on the clay that people were using. My first business was making bricks for people building houses with bricks. That industry has been on hold for almost more than a year, because there's been a clash with the mining department. It's been at the high court, at the supreme court.

People have not been making bricks since last year. The price of bricks has gone from 3,000 rupees to 6,000 rupees per thousand. People are thinking about finding some alternatives in India. Personally, if there is no duty on Canadian lumber, people may start thinking about making their walls of wood as an alternative.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Yes, what we're hoping for is that a free trade agreement will eliminate the duties, and we'll work toward that.

4:30 p.m.

Managing Director, Canam International

Darshan Singh Sahsi

If you go to the Internet you will find there is a big hurdle in India. There's a case in the supreme court and since last year no brick has been produced, not a single one, and my own brick kiln has been on hold for the last year.

4:30 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Mr. Sahsi and Mr. Sundher, we want to thank you for coming to our committee. Our time has gone, and we appreciate the time you have given us. We appreciate your testimony.

With that, we will suspend as we go in camera to finish off our business.

[Proceedings continue in camera]