An industry group says B-C’s lumber industry is in a better position to handle a softwood trade battle with the U-S now than it was during the last major clash 10 years ago. The Quebec Forest Industry Council says B-C producers such as West Fraser Timber, Canfor and Interfor have hedged their bets, purchasing sawmills in the U-S primarily in the years when there was a truce over softwood. It says they’ve also seen softwood exports to China grow, giving them some degree of protection against tariffs that the U-S could impose as early as May. The council says Quebec and Ontario sawmills largely missed out on an export surge to China but B-C Forests Minister Steve Thomson says increased diversification in this province still provides opportunities for the rest of the country.