Madam Speaker, I completely agree that the forestry sector is a vitally important sector for Canada. It is part of our Canadian identity. It is, of course, part of our Canadian economy, and the tariffs and duties that are being levelled on us are completely unjustified.
It is true that we are seeing mill closures. We are seeing strain across the entire system, whether that be in primary saw milling or in pulp industries and associated industries, and we do need to resolve this with the United States. Everybody appreciates that. The United States is 85% of our export market for softwood lumber, for example. That is not going to be replaced, at least in any kind of short term, by any of these other opportunities, so we need to make sure that we are working to get a deal.
In the meantime, there are two other streams of activity that we need to do. First, we need to support the companies, workers and communities that are going through these challenges. The government has given $2.5 billion to that effect. We also have a task force that is looking at other supports and other ways we can get through this moment. Second, we need to be thinking about how we make sure we are not in a situation like this going forward. That is where we start talking about a clear vision for a future forestry sector, and I believe we have one.
A forestry sector requires four components. It requires access to capital. The federal government can help with that. We can help make markets. It requires infrastructure. That is certainly something that allows us to get to markets and, in general, produce products. It also requires the skills and the talent, and it requires access to timber. The last of those, of course, is a provincial jurisdiction, but it is something we can work with people on.
We have the wood. We have high-quality timber, and we know that the Americans need the wood. Timber prices are currently low in the United States, which is why the higher costs that come from Europe have been competitive, but that will not always be the case. They need us as much as we need them down south, and we will get a deal. However, in the meantime, we need to work toward supporting our industry.
On mining, I will look into the mitigation plan that the member discussed. I am not familiar with it myself. I am not familiar with the deficiencies or the concerns, but I will certainly look into that. I appreciate the member's advocacy on behalf of her constituency. These are vital sectors that the government needs to support.