FREDERICTON - The New Brunswick government has appointed a former U.S. ambassador to Canada as the province's special envoy on the softwood trade dispute.
David Wilkins served as ambassador to Canada from 2005 to 2009, when George W. Bush was president.
During his term, Wilkins helped resolve an earlier dispute over softwood lumber, which the province says won the support of most of the Canadian lumber industry.
A lawyer and former state legislator from North Carolina, Wilkins now leads an international law practice group with a focus on U.S.-Canada interests.
As New Brunswick's envoy, he will promote business, provide advice to the government and act as a lobbyist in the trade dispute.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced it would subject Canadian lumber imports to tariffs ranging from three to 24 per cent, saying Canadian producers have an unfair advantage because they can charge less for wood that comes from Crown land.
