Pete Hoekstra says he hopes the United States and Canada can strike a deal on softwood lumber, an issue that predates both of Donald Trump's terms in Washington.

"This is going to be a very, very difficult one to solve," Hoekstra, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, said Friday on a visit to New Brunswick that included an event at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.

"I think the focus will be resolving some other issues, finding out exactly how we do those to see if maybe after 40 years we can finally resolve softwood lumber."

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New Brunswick is a big lumber exporter to the U.S. coming from producers like J.D. Irving.

When asked if the U.S. needs Canada's wood products, Hoekstra wasn't sure if the U.S. produced all the lumber it nee

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