The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday, May 23, edition that a rise in U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood will help drive an increase in lumber exports to China and other Asian markets, says Trade Minister Frandois-Philippe Champagne. A Bloomberg dispatch to The Globe reports that Mr. Champagne says: "There's an enormous opportunity. Diversification is the key. That's why Canada has an ambitious trade agenda." Mr. Champagne will travel to South Korea next week as Canada tries to boost trade and stimulate its economy. Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr is scheduled to accompany Canadian forestry leaders on a visit to China in June. Canada's diplomatic push comes after President Donald Trump reignited an old dispute last month by slapping duties as high as 24 per cent on Canadian softwood. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said he would consider banning thermal-coal shipments from the United States. Mr. Champagne says Canada's lumber pitch resonated in China and other Southeast Asian countries because softwood was an environmentally friendly building material that could satisfy a growing regional housing need without driving up greenhouse gas emissions.