I've only been in Canada for 48 years — tomorrow is the anniversary — in those years I have seen plenty of stupid things being done when it comes to trade with other countries, not just the USA. Raw log exports is just one of them! 
With today's technology it would be easy to cut whatever to whatever specifications the off-shore customers need. Ship finished product not raw materials! Better price, more jobs and leftovers to feed other plants to make yet more product. It isn't rocket science but if one constantly choses the easy way out aka let's sell to the Americans, at whatever price THEY decide on, then one is really missing the boat; BIG time.
No, the customer isn't always right! If one gets taken advantage of by the same customer more than once (softwood lumber is the typical example) one looks for different customers right away. 
AND in my own business I had always enough backbone to refuse to work for or sell to certain people. I was plenty busy!