Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, for the invitation today and for making a discussion on the state of Canada's forestry industry a priority.
The Canada Wood Group is a not-for-profit, industry-government partnership that was established in 2003 to focus on diversifying export markets for Canadian wood products and construction systems. Representing the full geographic and product diversity of Canada's forest sector, Canada Wood operates as a united team Canada platform, supported by industry, the Government of Canada and provincial governments.
With the current trade dispute with the United States and 45% combined tariffs and duties, it's critical for Canada to diversify its markets away from the United States and grow offshore export markets.
From 2015 to 2024, Canada's offshore lumber and OSB exports contributed over 126,000 job-years of employment across Canada, generated over $10 billion of labour income earnings nationwide, delivered over $690 million of government tax revenue, added nearly $20 billion to Canada's GDP and delivered a return on investment of $15 for every dollar invested in promotion. The Canada Wood Group has contributed to this using its staff located in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and the U.K.
We've communicated to all of our stakeholders the importance of increasing market share and growing offshore markets through our key strategic focuses. The first is regulatory alignment and code access. That is working with regulators, engineers and building authorities to align foreign codes and technical standards with the performance characteristics of Canadian wood products and systems, including seismic-resilient, fire-tested and energy-efficient assemblies.
The second is demonstration projects. We deliver and support high-profile demonstration projects that showcase Canadian timber and hybrid systems, catalyzing broader adoption and influencing local procurement and code decisions, as well as proof of concept.
The third is market activation and buyer engagement. Canada Wood connects Canadian manufacturers to international buyers through trade missions, seminars, road shows and business-to-business networking events, building trust in the Canadian wood brand.
The fourth is in-market infrastructure and collaboration. We are funding our lean, hybrid staffing model, which utilizes experienced technical staff and contractors located in offshore markets. They work in direction coordination with Canada's trade commissioner service and provincial government partners to maximize efficiency and impact.
It's critical to have consistent, long-term funding that allows for multi-year research and market development. When building relationships with governments, universities, technical organizations and trade, we cannot be in and out. Most programs take years to develop, since they are highly technical in nature and require multi-year funding.
While the industry has contributed consistently to offshore promotion, in today's current market circumstances it's not in a position to increase its funding. We ask that the government increase its percentage share of programming and contribute to increased market diversification. Increased government funding will strengthen Canada's ability to reduce reliance on the U.S. market and expand trade resilience; open commercial access in priority offshore regions, particularly in Asia and Europe; promote Canadian innovation in low-carbon, climate-smart construction systems; support rural and indigenous economic development through export-led growth; and align with federal priorities under the Build Canada Homes plan, the Indo-Pacific strategy, and the 2030 emissions reduction plan.
Again, thank you for your invitation today to present the opportunity for offshore market diversification. Thank you for your time. I look forward to your questions.