West Fraser is to sell its Skeena sawmills division in British Columbia to a Chinese-owned company.

The business comprises timber tenures and single shift sawmill with an annual capacity of 90 million board feet.

The mill closed apart from some chipping operations in 2007 when it employed 100 people. West Fraser blamed the downturn in Canadian and US housing starts.

The forestry firm said it had agreed a sale with ROC Holdings, a Canadian-based company owned by a Chinese parent firm. No financial details were disclosed